The Book Collectors of Daraya

There is something seductive about the idea of knowledge as a bulwark against brutal force, and it’s an idea that immediately resonates with Minoui . . . She makes up for the lack of on-the-ground access with an abundance of attention and empathy.Mythili Rao, Guardian

The Book Collectors of Daraya celebrates the political and therapeutic power of the written word . . . defiant and cautiously optimisticHouman Barekat, Financial Times

[An] incredible chronicle . . . The book tells the kind of story that often gets buried beneath images of violence.Corinne Segal, LitHub

Just like prisons across the region, rebel strongholds are sometimes universities in exile; witnessing the unexpected joy of learning in such circumstances is both sobering and inspiring.Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs