The Raqqa Diaries: Escape from “Islamic State”

The horror of civil war and yearning for normalcy are presented with soulful, harrowing detail by the pseudonymous Samer, a 24-year-old Syrian activist who smuggled his diaries, coded word by coded word, to the BBC. In gripping sequences, Samer describes how life in his home city of Raqqa quickly deteriorated after “liberation” from the Syrian government, as the Islamic State forces imposed their own bloody regime. Samer, a thoughtful and compelling protagonist, writes with both poetic poignancy and blunt honesty of his mother’s worry for his safety; the physical destruction of the city and the deterioration of living conditions; and the blighting of Raqqa’s soul as whippings, beheading, and stonings became common. The city came to a standstill as people feared being on the street, and most had no money to spend due to the onerous financial burdens imposed by ISIS. Samer eventually fled his home to save his own life, joining the great mass of refugees escaping the war zone. Remarkably, Samer retains some sense of hope by the end. This striking work should be required reading to raise awareness and to remove any shred of doubt that our world is being rocked by a humanitarian crisis of epic proportion. (Mar.)