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2012: Powerful insight into the effects of civil war on the Syrian people and why so many are desperate to flee, by award-winning Syrian journalist.
The Crossing: My journey to the shattered heart of Syria
What you need to know before your trail
Journalist Samar Yazbek was forced into exile by Assad’s regime. When the uprising in Syria turned to bloodshed, she was determined to take action and secretly returned several times. The Crossing is her rare, powerful and courageous testament to what she found inside the borders of her homeland.
From the first peaceful protests for democracy to the arrival of ISIS, she bears witness to those struggling to survive, to the humanity that can flower amidst annihilation, and why so many are now desperate to flee.
Travel Guide
Travel BookTrail style to Syria
The barbed wire lacerated my back. I was trembling uncontrollably. After long hours spent waiting for nightfall, to avoid attracting the attention of Turkish soldiers, I finally raised my head and gazed up at the distant sky, darkening to black.
Half an hour at a sprint – that’s the distance you have to cover before you’ve safely crossed the border
She makes the crossing several times over 18 months and sees the changes to the airport, the country at large and realises that there are storng and profound upheavals happening in the country. She admits to being ignorant of what was to come, but then wasn’t the world?
Idlib
They travel through Idlib, an area only partially liberated from the control of Assad’s forces.
Saraqeb
The cautiously enter the narrow alleys of this town which is not yet fully liberated. There is still a sniper at the radio tower killing countless people every day. This is the village at the heart of the story.As she talks to the women imprisoned in Syria, a heartbreaking and heartwarming series of stories and insights comes to the fore
Booktrail Boarding Pass: The Crossing: My journey to the shattered heart of Syria
Destination: Syria Author/Guide: Samar Yazbek Departure Time: 2012
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