The Home That Was Our Country

Syrian-American journalist Alia Malek examines Syria through its history, her family's history, and accounts of the burgeoning conflict that is now taking place there. Narrating her own work, Malek describes life on her grandmother's apartment block in Damascus as well as her views on the looming danger. In juxtaposition, she makes comparisons to other places in the region she has visited. Malek is not a professional narrator, but her pronunciation of Syrian place names and other Arabic terms greatly enhances her reading, and hearing her audiobook in her voice also lays bare how the current situation has impacted families and led to the Syrian diaspora. Middle Eastern music at transition points helps to set scenes. S.E.G. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine