The Stray Cats of Homs is a raw and heartfelt novel that portrays the Syrian Civil War, which erupted in March 2011 and to date has left at least 360,000 people dead, through the eyes of young man and city of Homs resident Sami, his family and his friends. It's heartbreaking, powerful but also life-affirming and there's no doubt in my mind that I will never forget this story and its effect on me. There have been a plethora of books published in this genre of late so it takes something incredibly special to stand out and Eva Nour (pseudonym) has managed to achieve that with considerable aplomb.

Growing up in Homs, Syria, in the 1980s Sami’s childhood is like that of any ordinary child’s. In 2000, when Bashar al-Assad takes over power, things change, and not for the better. Sami is conscripted into the military and trains as a cartographer, shielded from the worst horrors. As the seeds of the Arab Spring are sown in 2011 at the same time as Sami’s military service ends, he hears of the wave of demonstrations all around the country – spreading into Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. Then, he receives a text message from his girlfriend, Sarah, who is participating in the demonstrations: ‘They are firing on us!’ The full horror hits: Syria is heading into open civil war, with government troops killing its own citizens. What Sami decides to do next will echo down the years, and shape his entire future. And he does not choose the easy route…

I am finding it almost impossible to do this book justice in terms of reviewing but I will say that this is the real deal and a searing tour de force; storytelling does not get any better or more accomplished than this. This is Nour’s gripping and utterly engrossing semi-autobiographical account of ’Sami’ and his daily life before they eventually met and fell in love. I actually find it somewhere close to unfathomable that this is a debut novel because it’s stunning, heart-rending and earth-shattering and focuses on the impossible choices we make, the hope of revolution and enduring love amidst the death and despair of war. If the author adheres to this standard of work in the future she’ll be winning awards before you know it. Today the couple share a life together in Paris. Unreservedly recommended. Many thanks to Doubleday for an ARC.

What a heartbreaking and at the same time uplifting portrayal of one man's story. Sami lives in Homs with his family. Life is pretty ordinary growing up. Sibling rivalry, young love, small acts of rebellion. But life is set to change in the most devastating way as political tensions rise up between the regime of al-Assad, and the rebels of the Free Syrian Army. Sami is drafted into the military and here he sees the cruelty and inhumane treatment meted out by those in power. He's ashamed of being part of the machinery and as soon as he has served his time, he joins a group staging demonstrations and begins photo-documenting the daily atrocities carried out against the citizens of Homs. His family leave the war-torn streets and he experiences a loneliness that is incomprehensible. His home is destroyed by missiles, and when all hope of the atrocities ending is lost, he manages to make his way out of Homs. With heart in his mouth every time he meets a checkpoint, he is eventually able to escape and finds asylum in Paris. Whilst grateful for being accepted, he misses his homeland, and his family and this is captured so poignantly when he talks to a group of schoolchildren about his experiences.

In Paris, he meets a journalist who he falls in love with and she promises him that one day she will write a book telling his story. This is that book. An intimate portrayal of life at the front line of civil war, the atrocities that seem inhuman, and the crushing loneliness of leaving all you love behind. But it is also a testament to the strength of the human spirit, the unrelenting drive to stay alive and to build a meaningful life.

Truly beautiful and a story that will capture the heart of all that read it.

A highlight of my reading year, so far.

This book was so much more than I expected. What I thought I was getting was a story of a person or family that fled the civil war in Syria, but what I got was a moving and incredibly thought-provoking story of a person who stayed. As someone who became guiltily inured to those almost nightly images on the TV news of a city under siege and a country on its knees, this story has really helped to sharpen my focus and improve my understanding. All the way through I had to keep reminding myself that it was fiction, despite reading like a biography. But of course, I just hadn't read the blurb closely enough before starting, and the Author's Note at the end left me in no doubt that this did largely happen.

Sami's early life is so relatable - the youngest of 3 kids (until baby Malik comes along when Sami is about 12) - he's equally into his schoolwork and playing. He looks up to Ali and Hiba, his older siblings. He respects his parents, and loves his Grandpa Faris, the dapper family elder who lives in their sprawling family home. He has lots of friends, but his bestie is Muhammed, who stands by his side from childhood right through until the darkest days of the war. TV time is rationed and academic achievement is rewarded. Totally normal so far.

Entrepreneurial success during his university years is a double-edged sword for Sami. The success makes his life easier, but it also slows down his studies. So by the time he is finished, his military service is long overdue and when the regime catches up with him, he has no choice but to commence his 21-month stint in the army. And while he is there, the Arab Spring kicks off. With rebellion spreading in waves across the Arab world, it is only a matter of time before it reaches Syria, and even the tight control of al-Assad can't stop it.

That probably summarises the first half of the book. The rest is about what Sami and others in the rebel-controlled centre of Homs went through over the next few years. I doubt there would be reader who could finish this book and remain unaffected by Sami's story. In the days since I finished reading, I've gone back and looked at many of those images of Homs with a fresh appreciation of what happened and admiration for the resilience and humanity of people like Sami.

Sami grows up and has to join the army in Syria. An emotional,disturbing tale,well written which brings home the reality of living in the country.

This book is well worth picking up and reading. I know nothing about Syria and the situation over there. I only hear what is put on the news. This book, which I understand , is based on true events, opened my eyes. In places it is hard to read but it shows how determined one person can be to make a life for themselves. I found the book well written and compassionate. One I would recommend.

A really thought provoking book. How would I react in the situation, not sure I can answer that but this story, it may be fiction but is seems very close to actuality, makes me hope that I would want to use my skills to effect change for the better.
In the story Sami starts as a normal young lad but is then conscripted and is "fortunate" to be chosen as a map marker which keeps him away from the violence of the Syrian government. On discharge he goes home to find the world has changed for the worst. The story tells of relationships before he finally ends up in Paris.
I strongly recommend this book.

Wow what a book. This story has stayed with me and can I say it? changed my life! My outlook has changed due to this book. Please read it.

This book follows one man Sami from childhood to adulthood and all that he experienced before and during the war. It is hard to read and heartbreaking at times but it is important. Even more so in the light of George Floyd and the following protests. I hope one day Syria can heal.

Highly recommend.

This novel tells the story of Sami, a Syrian refugee. It starts with his childhood in Homs during a comparatively peaceful time, moving on to university life where he meets and falls in love with a christian girl. After university he starts his own business supplying a computer network superior to that of the regime. He is also a photographer. It is when he is conscripted into the army that things turn sour. He gets out of the army at a time when civil war is beginning to dissect his country. How he copes during this time and how he escapes from Syria eventually going to France as a refugee makes for hard reading. At the end it is revealed to be a true story written by the Swedish journalist he now lives with in Paris.

This is a desperate story which will move you to tears many times. We need more stories like this in our times where we are so divided. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is a devastatingly beautiful book and the story of Sami will stay with me.

The war in Syria isn’t really one that, I feel, is fully understood. After all, apart from the ignorance and nastiness that has been written and spread in relation to refugees, it has little impact on our lives.

This book opened my eyes to what is going on in Syria. The writing describes the depth of grief and despair of Sami to such a degree that this is a difficult book to read. The pain that he had to endure in his life - conscription into the army, the humiliation and then murder of his first true love, the death of his brother, the murder and starvation surrounding him - is such that you cannot begin to understand how someone can survive it all.

The description of crossing the ‘red line’ to freedom - the fear, the pain, the death - I could see, feel and smell everything that Sami did.

The dedication at the end of the book added a further powerful, blow to me as a reader as, when starting this book, I did not realise it was based on a true story.

This is a book that everyone should read.

I rarely say that a book has changed my life, but this book has done that. It has changed my life. If you are not a reader, become one; just for this book. I can guarantee that it will make you see the world from a whole new perspective.
We, the people who live in a first world country, think we know everything. We think we've made it and are better than the rest of the world because our leaders are civilized and educated and WE voted for them. But the reality is that we don't know anything. Yes, we pride ourselves on reading the news and listening to podcasts and generally being aware of current issues. We skim the tops of articles so we can talk about it at our luncheons, parties and dinners. We applaud ourselves, thinking of how we've played our part in righting the wrongs of this world. But we are very, very wrong. The reality is we don't know anything.
We don't know war. We don't know hunger. We don't know starvation. We don't know poverty. We don't know grief and loss on such a large scale that we become psychologically damaged by it. We go to bed every night, certain that we are safe and secure. But not everyone has this luxury.
When the Arab Spring began, I was only 17 years old. Just like everyone I watched the anti-government protests, and the subsequent victories achieved by many of these countries with better governments forming, making the standards of living higher and safer. But it never affected my life and I never bothered to research and read more in-depth about why this happened. When the Syrian civil war began, and millions of people were displaced, the world put a label on them; Syrian Refugees. A lot of European countries tried to pass them around like they were a load of laundry because no one wanted to take responsibility and help these people out. I remember there was a country that even had a petition going around where people could sign it so that their country does not house any refugees.
It is absolutely vile that we acted this way. They are still real people with dreams and hopes who have lost everything they have. They lost their homes, families, friends, jobs, stability, and livelihood. It could have been any of us. But our superiority of living in a first world country prevents us from seeing anything unless it directly affects us. And I am ashamed that it took reading this book for me to realize that I can and should do more. Yes I've signed petitions and donated, but I can also make others aware of this. And that is the most important thing. Less ignorance = more positive change.
I read this book in the 2nd week of June 2020, when the George Floyd's murder sparked protests all over the world. And I saw the parallels of the protests in this book and the Black Lives Matter protests. How we protest knowing we are protected to a certain degree. No is going to open fire on us with guns or drop bombs on our heads. The Syrians also protested thinking the same thing. But instead of change, they got a war they did not ask for. Their opinions and feelings were deemed irrelevant and were quashed down by Assad. It is absolutely horrific that one man can be so brutal to his own people and not suffer any consequences.
This book follows one man Sami from childhood to adulthood and all that he experienced before and during the war. It is an absolute eye-opening, emotional, heartbreaking and extraordinary true story about survival and the fight for freedom. It is not an easy book to read, but it is important that you read it. I hope and pray that one day the people of Syria find their way back home and never have to suffer like this again.

This book is well-written, engaging and translated from Swedish.

This book is one of those that you really don't want to rush through and read too quickly. I took 3 days to read this as I wanted to concentrate and savour each word. To say this is a genuine tale about Sami and his life experience growing up and surviving in Syria it is calmly and sympathetically told. The horrors experienced by Sami, his family and friends is not sensationalised or told looking for sympathy. It is beautifully told, calmly portrayed and because of this it creates a greater impact. The fact that this is modern day life in Syria makes it all the more horrifying and uncomfortable to read. Reading this in lockdown puts our present situation in perspective. This is not a book you read and forget. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Eva Nour/Random House UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

What an absolutely awesome book! Not one to forget in a hurry - if ever.

Sami lives in Homs, Syria, with his parents and siblings. They do all the things we all do growing up, but most of us don't have a war zone moving closer to our home town. Sami hopes their are better days to come - and this is his story.

I hadn't realised that this was a biographical tale until I read on at the end of the novel - and I would urge everyone else to continue and find out where the story came from. I cannot begin to describe the effect this one has had on me; I feel quite ashamed that I didn't know more about this conflict. This is an astonishing, compelling and magnetic book which touched me in more ways than I can explain and I don't doubt that it's headed for the very top of the best sellers list! For a debut novel, it's astounding but I now understand that it's been written as a passion and, in my opinion, that always produces the very best reads. Beautifully-written and quite spell-binding, I couldn't put it down until I reached the very last and haven't stopped thinking about it since. I have dreamt about this book and I suspect I will again. The Stray Cats of Homs earns every one of the five glittering stars that I have to give it - anything else would be a travesty. 

My grateful thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley - I'm so excited to have read this novel. This is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

A heartbreaking account of incredible resilience and strength. I was completely immersed in Sami's story. I lived in Syria before the civil war began and the descriptions of the way of life, the military power, the food and the lives of everyday people brought back so many memories. The characters are vividly described and I could picture them all and felt like I recognised some of them. The retelling of his experiences of military service mirrored stories I'd heard before first hand.
Although this is a difficult story to read, there is a thread of optimism running through. Even in the most arduous circumstances, the human spirit remains unbroken.

This is one of those books that really gets under your skin. It certainly put into perspective the challenges that I am personally facing with the lockdown. So, my situation is currently fairly easy. Yes, I can’t go out and I can’t see my family but I am at home with my kids. I am working from home and we have plenty of food. My two kids and I are battling through, sharing lots of laughs along with a few minor fall outs but I am not overly fearful for my life. I am healthy and I am safe. It’s a far cry from the story of Sami.

Whilst this is a partly fictional story it is based on the real life events of Sami as he lived in the midst of the Syrian war and finally made his escape to safety and freedom.

I am pretty ignorant about the in’s and out’s of this war and this book really opened my eyes to the fear that the people were put through. This book was not just about the bombings and the violence that we see so much of on the media but it was the heartwarming tale of the familiies, how they pulled together and tried to get through as best they could.

The one thing that I take so much for granted is freedom. The one thing we are all missing in life right now is the freedom to go out when we like and see who we like. I cannot imagine how it would be to live my life like this forever but for the Syrian people that was their way of life. Compulsory military service was forced on Sami and as much as he tried to avoid this there was no escape, he was taken against his will and made to be a soldier. He could only leave when they said he could.

His family had fled to safety when the bombings started but Sami was determined to stay and stand up for his people. Life was harder than I could imagine. No homes, No safety, No food. The threat that at any minute he could be shot dead, lived with him constantly and unfortunately too many of his friends did not make it out alive.

This was a heartbreaking, yet heartwarming story of love, loss and having the strength to carry on. I would highly recommend this read. It certainly put my life into perspective. The hard times I am having are nothing compared to what too many people have suffered and continue to suffer everyday.

This is a difficult book to review - I think in part because it is not entirely sure what it is! Part memoir, part autobiography, part journalism, part fiction... I am all for multi-modality in my reading but it became a little nebulous here...

The story is undeniably powerful and incredibly moving: Sami is living in Syria enjoying a fairly innocent sounding childhood (full of animals who were great! Love a turtle!) before he is conscripted into the army and the city of Homs becomes a war zone and beseiged. The destruction rained on the city was particularly moving in fact. With the current events in the Middle East and with asylum seekers and the dispossessed, it is an important story to share!

But the writing veered between the brutal and the lyrical and a style that felt almost journalistic... for me it just did not quite work.

This is an incredibly hard book to review, as all of the phrases and words you'd normally use don't seem to apply. I mean, is it appropriate to say you enjoyed a book about such a tragedy? I'm not sure.

But personally, I found this book to be an incredibly moving read, heartbreaking and awful at times, but also showing the redemptive beauty of the human spirit. It's all too easy to blind oneself to the harsh realities of the world around us, especially if you are fortunate enough to live in a comparably safe environment. But this book forces you to open your eyes to the horrors that others in the world face on a regular basis.

The writing is beautiful, the plot is heartbreaking, and Sami is a fantastic character through whom to experience these events. 10/10 would recommend.

A phenomenal, powerful story of life, love, friendship, struggle and sadly also death in Syria. This is a world I ashamedly knew very little about. This tour de force easily rivals The Kite Runner and because it is a true story probably outshines it. This amazing book needs to be read.

The stray cats of Homs hit is the retelling of an asylum seeker, Sami and his journey through war torn Syria to Paris.

This book was a pleasure to read as his unique story gave way to a whole different way in which we need to view refugees and asylum seekers, desperately seeking a safe haven for themselves and their family in other countries.

I loved the way in which the book was written, the simplicity of the language engaging the reader to imagine the horrors of uncontrollable war and just how fortunate we are, in this country to be able to access the simplest of necessities. Nour was able to capture images in your mind which will stay with you for a long time and her focus on Sami's feelings and thoughts really captured how he felt at that time.

A wonderful, eye-opening memoir of a single man's journey to escape a regime to be able to experience freedom once more.

This book is a true story based on Sami who lives in Syria.
This is an emotional and moving book and shows an insight to life in War torn Syria and the things that Sami has faced.
Not easy to read due to the content but brilliantly written and definitely worth reading.

This is a great read that will stay with you. Tracing a part of the Syrian conflict with gentleness and sadness this moving story is exceptionally well written. Fully recommend