A deeply disturbing novel of the situation in Syria: revolt against the Assad regime, as seen through the eyes of several young people. Among them are Hammoudi, a surgeon, who, for awhile runs an underground hospital, and Amal and Yousef, students at the Institute of Dramatic Arts, she as actress, he as director. After witnessing and living through warlike conditions, the three flee the country and seek a peaceful life perhaps in Europe. The story follows their paths under grisly conditions as displaced persons journeying to another homeland. With these faces, fictional as they were, the recent refugee crisis was brought home through what they suffered. These people were possibly composites of those who told the author their stories. ( )

This novel follows several young people caught in Damascus at the beginning of the 2011 Syrian revolution.

Hammoudi is a Paris trained doctor who must return to Syria to get his passport renewed. When he is denied an exit visa, he is trapped, earning governmental sanction finally including a death contract as he refuses the government mandate not to treat revolutionaries.

Amal is a young actress; Youssef a young director.

Author Grjasnowa paints a portrait of a pleasant although sometimes tense pre-war lifestyle in Damascus and Syria. As one by one basic necessities and finally safety itself disappear into chaos, a vivid answer is given to those who ask “Why don’t the refugees stay and fight?’, a rather ugly refrain that I have seen on social media multiple times.

Grjasnowa was a child refugee from Azerbaijan to Germany when she was eleven. She has lived in a variety of countries and is married to a Syrian national. Her understanding of the plight of refugees shines authentically from every page.

While I cared for both the characters and their outcomes, I didn’t care much for the writing.

It’s adequate, but often feels a bit stilted and not at all like the cover blurb which states that author Grjasnowa “writes sensuously and vividly”.

Some of the phrases are almost funny – “enough incense sticks to kill a cow” (how does one kill a cow with incense sticks?) And while I received a version which contains the warning that it is an uncorrected advance proof (although appears to be a regularly bound paperback version), I can’t imagine that there will be a total rewriting of the flow of the story. Whether this is indicative of the author, or the translator is impossible to tell.

There are definitely enough positives about this book that I will try another by this author. ( )

This novel realistically traces the experiences of three Syrians caught up in their country's civil resistance. One is an aspiring actress, one is a director, and one a physician. All are opposed to the ruling regime. It chronicles their struggles within the authoritarian state, their flight from Syria, and their uncertain status as refugees. Definitely worth reading. Note: there are some very graphic descriptions of torture and battle injuries.
Advance review copy through LibraryThing. ( )

*I received this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.*

This novel really brought home the war in Syria in a way that news reports over the past few years never have. The stories of Amal and Hammoudi are both saddening and heartening, as they each see their country collapse around them and attempts to change the course of events fail. The plight of refugees is explored as well, as Amal and Hammoudi slowly lose their possessions and experience dangerous travel across land and sea. There is hope in this story, but there is also tragedy, as much remains unresolved, even in the final pages. ( )

An intensely moving novel that shares the fictionalized experiences of individuals who live and lived under Assad in wore-torn Syria. The violence, despair, ruined dreams, escape experiences, and then their lives as refugees is nothing less than horrifying. Ms. Grjasnowa’s writing style is unpretentious and direct, yet not overbearing. She writes with fluidity and care. This is a relevant read considering today’s national and international political climate. City of Jasmine is an interesting, well thought out novel, that tells a story and informs. ( )