A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi

Wow!  A Land of Permanent Goodbyes is such a powerful and important novel.  The stories of Tareq and Susan, along with all the others involved hit me like a ton of bricks and has stuck with me since I finished it yesterday evening.  This is a novel that I just keep thinking about.

This is the story of refugees who have been impacted by the war in Syria; impacted physically, emotionally, mentally.  It is the story of their journey to safety and let's us know just how dangerous that journey is.  And while this is a story about Tareq and his little sister, Susan, it is also the tale of so many Syrians who have fled their homeland in order to preserve their own lives, along with the lives of their families.

While the story of Tareq and Susan is ficitonal, it is also a completely true representation of the crisis that has effected so many.  As I read the hardships that little Susan endured during her journey, I kept thinking of my own little 4 year old girl, and how I couldn't imagine the same things happening to her.  And while she will never have to experience these atrocities, it is an unfortunate reality for way too many.

This is a novel that should open your eyes to some of the things we often try to not pay attention to.  To some of the things we would rather not think about.  But it will also open your hearts and fill you with hope.  A hope that things can be better, a hope that there are good people out there, a hope that the helpers will always be there to help.  

From Amazon:

Narrated by Destiny, this heartbreaking -- and timely -- story of refugees escaping from war-torn Syria is masterfully told by a foreign news correspondent who experienced the crisis firsthand.

In a country ripped apart by war, Tareq lives with his big and loving family . . . until the bombs strike. His city is in ruins. His life is destroyed. And those who have survived are left to figure out their uncertain future.

In the wake of destruction, he's threatened by Daesh fighters and witnesses a public beheading. Tareq's family knows that to continue to stay alive, they must leave. As they travel as refugees from Syria to Turkey to Greece, facing danger at every turn, Tareq must find the resilience and courage to complete his harrowing journey.

But while this is one family's story, it is also the timeless tale of all wars, of all tragedy, and of all strife. When you are a refugee, success is outliving your loss.

Destiny narrates this heartbreaking story of the consequences of war, showing the Syrian conflict as part of a long chain of struggles spanning through time.

An award-winning author and journalist--and a refugee herself--Atia Abawi captures the hope that spurs people forward against all odds and the love that makes that hope grow.