This novel is based around the time of the Arab spring. Based in Beirut but focusing on the impact on individuals fleeing the war in Syria and Iraq as they try to find a safe haven.

However, within all this we are constantly reminded that Lebanon has been through its own wars and is still recovering from the aftermath.

Everyone in this book is trying to live and work amidst chaos and uncertainty. While the war tears Syria apart, it’s repercussions can be felt all around.

Through its realistic narrative, the book does manage to do justice to the truth of both conflict and displacement.
The different viewpoints of individuals expressed in this novel do help to understand the human side of the conflict.

I won’t say it’s a literary masterpiece, but it’s a book written at a very human level and was actually very easy to read.