A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee's Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival

We've all seen the footage from Syrian cities of what local and foreign forces have visited upon the citizens, but this book brings one family into view. It could be anyone's family anywhere in the world under circumstances beyond normal control. Their denomination is reviled along with their political views, and the bullies take over with no regard for human life. This is not a historical pogrom, nor a tribal war in history, but happening today.
Born in 1995, Doaa was raised in a large extended family in a decent neighborhood. In time, the political scene changed and the quality of life deteriorated. In 2012 her father contacted a relative, and arrangements were made to leave everything and nearly everyone they knew to emigrate to show more Egypt. There they lived meagerly, working hard and becoming thin and frail. In time the man who was determined to marry her saved Doaa and her mother from illnesses not uncommon in refugees, and in 2014 it became apparent that they needed to move on to Europe if there was to be any hope for a decent life.
The decision itself was heartrending, but there was no hope for any decent kind of future for refugees in Egypt at that time. So they began to experience the heartless cruelty of the smugglers who are motivated only by greed. There was more hardship and deaths and devastating loss. Finally, heart sick and near death, she was befriended in Greece and began to think that there might be hope. But like most refugees anywhere and in any time, her greatest hope is to return to the homeland.
I feel very fortunate to have won a Goodreads Giveaway which I entered and received a free review copy from Flatiron Books. show less

I don't think you can write a review of this book without saying "heartbreaking". The Syrian Civil War and the refugee crisis have been shamefully handled by everyone and stories like these illustrate why turning our backs on young women like Doaa whose dreams have always been education, freedom, a better life - because we're scared of her religion and those who use her religion to justify their violence and evil - is just as wrong and terrible as what ISIS does to people.


Are you as brave as an 88 pound woman who WAS involved in nonviolent protest of the unfree Syrian regime who watched her beloved fiance drown, keeping 2 toddlers alive for four days in the middle of the goddamn ocean? Probably not, few of us are. But finding compassion show more for refugees like her would be a start.
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[A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea] by [[Melissa Fleming]]

Doaa was just a teenager when war broke out in her native Syria. When Bashar's army took over her town with tanks to put down demonstrations, things got so bad that homes and people were routinely searched and girls walking to school and mothers to the grocery were at constant risk of being kidnapped and raped, her family took refuge in Egypt. The Syrians were welcomed at first, but things soon changed. They were blamed for economic stress and treated much as we see Central American refugees being treated in the U.S. today. Harassment and threats caused the family to fear for their safety. Finally, Doaa's fiance convinces her that the two of them should pay smugglers to get them show more to Europe, hopefully in time to Sweden, where she had relatives, and apply for legal entry for the rest of her family. It was a harrowing journey that ended when a boat deliberately rammed their rickety vessel, casting over 500 desperate people into the sea. Doaa was one of only 12 survivors.

Dosa's story is a tragic example of the suffering of the Syrian people and other refugees fleeing violence, starvation, and the loss of freedom. It reminded me of the current administration's cruelty in the form of a Muslim ban, determination to build a border wall, roundups of illegal immigrants, the family separation policy, and children locked in cages. Just yesterday it was reported that a child who accidentally spilled her soup was forced to lick it off the floor. This week, aliens who have been here legally for years to receive lifesaving medical care received letters telling them that they face deportation if they don't leave the country of their own accord within 30 days. Children with cancer, cystic fibrosis, and rare diseases are being deported and will die. Surely, we are better than this. Yet too many seem to be asking, "Am I my brother's keeper?" And too many put aside Christ's answer.

After so much suffering, Doaa and her family settled safely in Sweden. Finally, instead of living moment to moment in fear and anxiety, they can begin to plan for the future. Her story should remind us all of the human rights to which we all are entitled, regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. show less

*I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway*
As the title clearly states, this is the story of Doaa's life in Syria and how she tried to find safety in other countries. Her and her family faced great challenges, but you can tell how much they cared for each other through it all. My heart has always been with the refugees as this conflict continues, but this gave me a whole new respect and understanding of why they are forced to make difficult decisions. I am so glad I had the opportunity to learn her story, and I would recommend it to anyone. Even though it is non-fiction, it is told in third person so it is like you are following along with Doaa and you really grow to care for her. As I was reading though, I badly wanted it to show more be fiction because I can't believe the hardships Doaa went through and the strength she showed. show less

Doaa Al Zamel, a young Syrian woman, encountered horrors at sea after enduring wartime violence in Syria, fleeing to Egypt, and attempting to reach Europe. Doaa’s family wanted to stay in Syria, where they endured food shortages and unsafe conditions, but when the bombing started, they fled to Egypt. At first, they were welcomed, but their situation worsened when anti-refugee sentiments spread across the region. Doaa and her fiancé decided to seek a better life in Europe, traveling by sea in spite of her deep-seated fear of water. They, perhaps naively, trusted their safety to smugglers. It is a story of fear, cruelty, and deprivation.

I think it is a story worth telling and worth reading. It will help readers gain an appreciation show more for the plight of Syrian refugees. Unfortunately, the writing does not flow well. It is focused on Doaa’s personal story but covers more of what happened than why. For example, there is a long section on her courtship, which was told in a repetitive manner and could have used more cultural context. I would have also liked more details about the political situation in both Syria and Egypt. show less

No land in sight, just debris from the ship's wreckage and floating corpses all around, Syrian teen Doaa Al Zamel stays afloat on a small inflatable ring and clutches two little girls. The children had been thrust into Doaa's arms by their drowning relatives, all refugees who boarded a dangerously overcrowded ship bound for Italy and a new life. For days as Doaa drifts, she prays for rescue and sings to the babies in her arms. She must stay alive for them. She must not lose hope.

This true story is so heartbreaking and tragic at the same time. I remember the news story of the Syrian government using nerve gas on its own people. I think I cried through the last half of the book, and I wonder what Doaa Al Zomel's life is like now. I wish that the author could write a follow-up book. The Syrian government has gone through so many changes; I hope that the new government is better than the one that Doaa lived under.

A girl living through the regime change in Syria, when the townspeople hoped for improvement but instead they experienced being terrorized and being starved, no longer being able to go to classes, worrying that her father would be taken away by the government and never be returned. He was taken away and show more finally came back, but they had to leave Syria; it was impossible to live there anymore.

Finally, after many difficulties, they made it to Egypt and were welcomed, but it was difficult for her family to make a living and support their wife, her many daughters, and their baby brother. Then change came to the Egyptian government, and the welcome turned into scorn, and it was very difficult to have enough to eat and find a place to live. Their situation went from bad to much worse with a few Egyptian friends who helped to much worse.

And her story continues, when you think, it is impossible for it get worse, it does over and over again. I think every American needs to read this important book. show less