"Many of these voices are unforgettable...Pearlman shapes her subjects' narratives, winnowing interviews down to stirring examples of human adaptation...essential reading." -- New York Times Book Review "Heart-stopping...Syrians, Pearlman writes, are too often cast as `victims to be pitied, bodies to be sheltered, radicals to be denounced or threats to be feared ... it can be difficult to find chances to listen to actual Syrians as human beings'. But she has listened." -- The Guardian "Pearlman spoke with hundreds of displaced Syrians.... Common among the spare and haunting testimonies of these mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters are the loss and reappearance of hope, humanity, and dreams of new freedom. This powerfully edifying work of witness is essential reading." -- Booklist (starred review) "A heartbreaking, human, and necessary book. Recommended for anyone who wishes to better understand the Syrian conflict." -- Library Journal "It's unsurprising to see the anger not just toward Syrian president Bashar al-Assad but also toward the international community...Nonetheless, the book is filled with hope, informed by an understanding of the unity possible in spite of the discord sowed by Assad." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A timely and useful exploration into the events leading up to and following the Syrian uprising and ongoing refugee crisis." -- VICE "A gut-wrenching collection of true experiences of Syrians whose lives have been transformed, often torn apart, by the ongoing conflict. A breathtaking yet haunting work of nonfiction, this necessary book could not have come at a better time." -- Bustle "Profoundly important...Pearlman, an accomplished political scientist, has chosen to let her Syrian interlocutors speak for themselves. What emerges is a complex, engaging and difficult oral history, which deserves a wide readership." -- Mark Lynch, Professor of Political Science at George Washington University and author of The New Arab Wars: Anarchy and Uprising in the Middle East and The Arab Uprising: The Unfinished Revolutions of the New Middle East