A Disappearance in Damascus

Starred review from June 15, 2017
A Canadian journalist covering the plight of Iraqis who fled to Syria a decade ago enlists the help of an Iraqi woman in Damascus--friendship and disaster ensue.In 2007, Campbell (Creative Writing/Univ. of British Columbia), a three-time National Magazine Award winner for foreign correspondence, was working on a major story for Harper's about Iraqi refugees when she first made contact with Ahlam, an Iraqi woman who served as her "fixer" (one who clears paths for journalists). Their professional relationship soon grew personal, and the author chronicles what went well and what went terribly wrong. Told principally in the first person, Campbell's story includes not only her stark and frightening experiences in Damascus, but also her fracturing love life back home as well as background on the Iraq War and ensuing civil war and the frangible stability in Syria, the only country to accept large numbers of Iraqi refugees. As she worked on her story, Campbell's friendship with Ahlam flourished and continued when the author left the country. Then Campbell found out that Ahlam had been arrested. The author, feeling profound guilt (was it because of her?), employed numerous strategies to find out why she was arrested, where she was being held, and what the charges were. Campbell's text races along--catching readers' hearts as it goes--and after the arrest, the author includes sections of "Ahlam's Story," grim third-person accounts about the experience of prison: deprivation, interrogations, violence, and terror. These sections increase the tension in readers, who have known since the beginning that dark things were on the way. The author sometimes veers a little toward the melodramatic near the ends of chapters, but it's a small quibble in a powerful book. In the stormwater's swirl, Campbell has found a bright and tender leaf to follow, and the effect on readers will be transformative.

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August 7, 2017
Journalist Campbell spotlights the life of an exceptional Iraqi woman, Ahlam, who was her guide and companion as she reported for Harper’s magazine in 2006 about the years following the fall of Saddam Hussein. Campbell, who was assigned by the magazine to write about the exodus of displaced Iraqis into Syria, here explores the lethal factions and political minefields in Syria at the time, and recalls recruiting Ahlam as a “fixer” to secure information for her. Ahlam had already been captured, pistol-whipped, and tortured back in Iraq by insurgents for performing intelligence work for Americans, so Campbell particularly admired her for continuing to do the same dangerous job in Syria. When Ahlam is detained by the Syrian government for her work with Campbell, whom the Syrians suspect of being a Mossad or CIA agent, Campbell embarks on a quest to secure her release. The author’s devotion to her friend will open hearts as Campbell and Ahlam’s family try every option to gain her freedom. Campbell’s work is an informed, fascinating account of one courageous source.

Starred review from August 1, 2017
In 2007, Campbell meets Ahlam in Damascus while reporting on Iraqi refugees in Syria. Ahlam is a highly recommended and well-educated fixer: an interpreter and guide who can help journalists find sources and make connections. A refugee herself, Ahlam fled Iraq after she had been kidnapped and threatened for her work with American soldiers. In Damascus, Ahlam sets up a school for young girls and continues working with foreign journalists. Her work is risky, as the government fears American interference in Syria. During Campbell's return to Damascus for a new story, Syrian authorities arrest Ahlam. Campbell struggles to find where Ahlam is being held and on what charges, but there seems to be no way for her to help. A Disappearance in Damascus, winner of Canada's 2016 Hilary Weston Writer's Trust Prize for Nonfiction, tells Ahlam's remarkable story of tragedy and resilience while situating her experience within the larger context of the war in Iraq. Campbell's captivating writing allows readers to see inside the life of a foreign correspondent and the bonds forged and broken through investigative reporting.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2017

Acclaimed journalist Campbell first met Ahlam in Damascus while on assignment to cover the growing unrest in Syria. Their friendship is the focus of this title. The first part of the book moves seamlessly between Ahlam's personal history and her work as a fixer for Western reporters, including Campbell. While Ahlam was the first person from her village to get a university degree, she couldn't afford to leave her country and use her education. Her job assisting foreigners during the Iraqi War drew negative attention, leading her to flee to Syria, where she became a leader within the refugee community. The second half of the book focuses on Ahlam's kidnapping, specifically how Campbell reconciles that she may have been the cause of her friend's disappearance, and what she and others do to try to find their companion. VERDICT Captivating and emotional, this book centers more on the story of Ahlam than that of the author, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the refugee experience and feel their uncertainty amid the chaos. For readers interested in current events, strong female friendships, and the ongoing crises in the Middle East. [See Prepub Alert, 4/3/17.]--Heidi Uphoff, Sandia National Laboratories, NM

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2017

Working undercover in Damascus, Syria, Canadian-based National Magazine Award winner Campbell befriended Ahlam, then went all out to find her when she was kidnapped. Winner of Canada's prestigious Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Non-Fiction.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.