Proof of Life

April 1, 2021
Anecdotal account of an effort to find a missing young man in civil war-riven Syria. Levin, a lawyer and armed-conflict negotiator who has vast experience with the Middle East, delivers "a story about loss and sadness, about violence and death, about unspeakable cruelty and greed--the daily menu of Syria's devastating war." More than that, he reveals the complex grammar of quid pro quo that is required for any negotiation in the region. At stake was the son of an influential American, and tracking him down fell to Levin, who had been involved in a project to nurture young Syrians to take roles in a postwar government. Via that connection, he was often approached to help find missing persons with the assumption that he "might know someone who knew someone who knew someone who could help. The classic Levantine arrangement, in other words." Finding that chain of someones involved visits to several countries and encounters with a range of characters, from a smooth, charming interlocutor who was quite helpful to a variety of gangsters and strongmen. Levin didn't find the hoped-for answer to the question of the young man's disappearance, but he did help effect an unforeseen rescue that, one hopes, will one day change the shape of regional politics. Despite some unnecessary digressions--e.g., the author's story of his visit to a wealthy racist in the Virginia countryside, one with clear political clout himself, doesn't add to the primary narrative--every moment that features the fixer named Khalid is worth the price of admission. Although Khalid has plenty of shady connections with the rich and powerful on all sides of the region's rivalries, he also serves as one of the book's much-needed moral compasses: "I'm really sorry, Khalid. I have no choice," Levin protests of a meeting that conflicts with his schedule, to which Khalid replies, "we always have a choice." Though sometimes tangential, Levin's narrative ably depicts the complex interactions of Middle Eastern politics.

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April 15, 2021
Over several years of humanitarian work in the Middle East, Levin developed a number of high-level contacts in that troubled region. As such, it made sense for a colleague to reach to him for help in locating a friend's son who had gone missing somewhere in the war zone in or around Syria. Despite having misgivings and doubts, Levin agrees to try to help, which leads him on a dangerous journey through complicated politics and treacherous environments. Levin's odyssey, which he recounts with frightening verisimilitude here, dealt with a case never noticed by either Western officialdom or media, but the likes of which have been a common occurrence during that region's ongoing strife. Unlike in fiction, Levin's true-life account does not promise a satisfying resolution to the story; in life, war seldom leaves room for happy endings. But whether facing tragedy through the horrors of war or through the randomness of real-life, it remains important to never give up. Levin's story is not an easy one to experience, but it is an important one.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.