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2012: A woman goes to Syria to tell the stories of those trapped in the war-torn country
The Morning They Came for Us: Dispatches from Syria
What you need to know before your trail
In May of 2012, Janine di Giovanni travelled to Syria, marking the beginning of a long relationship with the country, as she began reporting from both sides of the conflict, witnessing its descent into one of the most brutal, internecine conflicts in recent history. Drawn to the stories of ordinary people caught up in the fighting, Syria came to consume her every moment, her every emotion.
Speaking to those directly involved in the war, di Giovanni relays the personal stories of rebel fighters thrown in jail at the least provocation; of children and families forced to watch loved ones taken and killed by regime forces with dubious justifications; and the stories of the elite, holding pool parties in Damascus hotels, trying to deny the human consequences of the nearby shelling.
Travel Guide
Syria
The first thing I saw once I crossed the border into the Syrian hinterland was an enormous colour portrait of Bashar al-Assad, his alredy vivi eyes tinted blue to make their colour even more intense.
The atmosphere in Damascus was equally paranoid, something like the old days in Iraq under Saddam Hussein
There are many kinds of people living in Syria – the believers who are Assaid’s followers, others who want to save their own skin and not have the radicals in power, and then those who just want to stay alive, and
Other cities where insights reveal alarming situations are Latakia, Ma’loula, Homs, Daraya, Zabadani and Aleppo with varying degrees of horror as to what an ISIS state/regime means for the women, children and men who are forced to stay or flee.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: The Morning They Came for Us: Dispatches from Syria
Destination: Syria Author/Guide: Janine di Giovanni Departure Time: 2012
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