SYRIA'S SECRET LIBRARY

A BBC reporter’s portrait of Darayya library in Syria, “a secret library filled with thousands of books rescued from the rubble of war.”

Telling an extraordinary story with consummate narrative skill, putting readers directly in the thick of the action, Thomson grabs our attention from the beginning and doesn’t let go. The author relied on Skype and WhatsApp for much of his reporting. Though the internet was often down, people recorded answers to his questions on their mobiles, ready to send when the connection was restored. Surrounded in 2012 by government forces, Darayya was subjected to bombing, chemical attacks, and siege for four long years, which makes the survival of a secret library even more remarkable. In 2013, amid the devastation of bombed-out buildings, a devoted group salvaged books from private libraries, council offices, and ruined buildings, at great personal risk. The new library’s overseer was Abdul Basit, followed closely by 14-year-old Amjad, the “self-declared Chief Librarian.” Other caretakers included students of civil engineering and chemistry and a rebel fighter. The revolution ended all university work, but the library found textbooks to help students continue. Their site was top secret, a basement in a side street with destroyed upper floors and no sign. Word of mouth was the only way to find it. When they did discover it, their joy reflected the deep need for normality in a war zone. The appearance of the “Syrian Banksy,” with his inspiring graffiti, produced hope for the present, and the library gave people hope for the future. Throughout the book, readers will be impressed and inspired by the resilience of these people. When the siege ended, the citizens of Darayya were evacuated, mostly to Idlib, another revolutionary center near the Turkish border, and allowed only a suitcase or two—no books. Thomson’s reporting is unquestionably thorough and compassionate.

A fantastic, timely story, beautifully told, of a civilization’s refusal to die.