The Battle for Home

Starred review from April 1, 2016

As a trained architect, Al-Sabouni offers a singular perspective on the ongoing conflict in Syria. A lifelong resident of Homs, her eyewitness account describes the destruction the conflict has visited on the built environment and the high human toll Syrians have suffered. It also considers the more nuanced roles architecture and planning have played amid the chaos. She underscores how the loss of homes and neighborhoods also means a loss of identity for the people of Syria and describes trends in architecture and planning before the outbreak of violence that contributed to a situation in which cities and neighborhoods were increasingly stratified. The author is sharply critical of the government corruption that is rife in planning and construction, and her frustration working in this dysfunctional system is evident. VERDICT The book's focus on how the problems of the built environment grew out of and feed back into Syria's other challenges makes for intriguing reading; Al-Sabouni's matter-of-fact references to keeping her children occupied during mortar attacks or risking injury or abduction traveling to the university to defend her dissertation make her account absolutely compelling.--Amy Trendler, Ball State Univ. Libs., Muncie, IN

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.