Welcome to my tour stop! You can read an excerpt and enter the giveaway below...
The Heart of Aleppo:
A Story of the Syrian Civil War
By Ammar Habib
YA Contemporary
Paperback & ebook, 252 PagesBy Ammar Habib
YA Contemporary
July 26th 2018
Summary
Winner of the 2019 Independent Press Award
#1 Bestseller in "Coming-Of-Age" Fiction
#1 Bestseller in "Asian-American" Literature
From the ashes of the Syrian Civil War comes this story of hope, love, and courage...
After standing for over 7,000 years, Aleppo's ruin came overnight. Separated from his family during the night the rebels attacked the city, thirteen-year-old Zaid Kadir is lost in the middle of a war zone. Alongside his friends, he is forced to survive the dangers of a civil war he does not even fully understand. Zaid witnesses the destruction of the brutal Syrian Civil War as it grows more deadly by the day and rips his city apart. However, as he braves this destruction, as he desperately tries to survive this catastrophe, he discovers something. Zaid realizes that it is in the darkest hours when humanity's spirit of hope burns brightest.
Excerpt
The
foul stench is everywhere. It floods the buildings and road. It’s in every
crevice. It’s soaked into the very brick and mortar of these streets I used to
know.
We walk in
a single file: Salman up front and me in the back. The sack quickly grows heavy
on my shoulder, soon seeming as if it’s filled with bricks. But I trudge on.
The weight of the sack is nothing compared to what my heart is feeling right
now as I see the city I call home—a city that has stood for over 7,000
years—suddenly turned into wreckage.
Not long
into our journey, the last rays of sunlight disappear over the horizon and
leave the forsaken city shrouded in darkness. The few street lamps and lights
still standing are not illuminated. With smog encompassing the city, the stars
and moon are nowhere to be seen tonight. Neither is a single stray animal.
Surrounded by a thick forest of smoke and fog, I can’t even see ten feet in
front of me.
But the night
is not a peaceful one. The only constant reassurance that the city is not
abandoned is the echo of far-off chaos and nearby flames. Thunderous explosions
sound off like clockwork in the distance as they rock the city. We can’t even
go a block without hearing one or feeling the ground lightly tremor beneath our
feet. The first few cause me to flinch, but I slowly grow immune to the
tremors. However, even with all the smoke, we almost constantly see the dim
light of carnage coming from the direction of the Saif Al-Dawla District.
July
nights were always warm in Aleppo, but the smoke and smoldering ruins make it
all the more unbearable. The heat goes right through me. I was wise enough to
bring a small towel from Jari’s kitchen and am forced to use it every twenty
minutes or so to wipe off my face.
Every now
and then, there is a burning vehicle, trash can, or building that provides some
illumination. I usually hear the crackling flames moments before the bright
fire cuts through the smoke. But even in the darkness, even when there are no
flames to provide any light, I make out the silhouettes of all the destruction
around us. Some buildings are completely obliterated like the one across from
Jari’s shop. They’re nothing now but a mountain of brick, mortar, and ash.
Others have a damaged portion or have been shot up. Debris and rubble spill
onto the road. Some buildings tumbled onto one another, creating even more
destruction. It’s everywhere you look. You can’t escape it.
The
streets are dead silent, but the silence is not without a sound. It’s the sound
of desolation. The sound of destruction. The sound of terror.
About the Author
Ammar Habib is a bestselling and award-winning author who was born in Lake Jackson, Texas in 1993. Ammar enjoys crafting stories that are not only entertaining but will also stay with the reader for a long time. Ammar presently resides in his hometown with his family, all of whom are his biggest fans. He draws his inspiration from his family, imagination, and the world around him.
Tour Schedule
Tour-Wide Giveaway
One winner will receive a signed copy of Habib's national award-winning novel, Memories of My Future (US only). Memories of My Future is an historical/inspirational novel that was published in 2016. It received several accolades after its release, including the Independent Press Award in May 2017.
Ends November 13, 2019
Have you read any other books set during the Syrian Civil War? What did you think of the excerpt?
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