Aeham Ahmad became famous as the face of Syrian suffering when a photo of him playing piano in the ruins of his hometown Yarmouk went viral in 2015. The father of two boys, Ahmad, who was just 25 when the picture was taken, later escaped to Germany, leaving his family behind. The Pianist from Syria, he writes, is "the story behind the photo that went around the world, of a man in a green shirt playing the piano amid the rubble. And, as anyone who sees it will know, the photo can never tell you what happened before or what happened after."

Ahmad and his PianoThe book can be divided into three sections, differentiated by theme and focus. In the first section, Ahmad gives readers his history, touching on topics such as his grandparents' exodus from Palestine in 1948, his blind father's love of music (see Beyond the Book to learn about the oud, a musical instrument that Ahmad's father sold in his music store), and how Ahmad evolved from a recalcitrant piano student into a passionate artist. It's a fascinating story and a wonderfully detailed picture of what life was like for a regular family of businessmen before war came to Yarmouk. But the narrative changes substantially when it reaches 2011-2012. In this second section Ahmad relays how the protest movement known as the Arab Spring spread to Syria, ultimately causing a civil war. The armies of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad completely sealed off Yarmouk, believing the city to be a hotbed of unrest. The citizens had no electricity, no medicine, and no food, and many starved to death. It's a tragic story, made all the more heartrending by Ahmad's first-person account as he tells how he and his friends struggled to survive, and how painful it was for him to hear his young son crying for food he couldn't provide. And finally, in the third harrowing section, Ahmad attempts to leave Syria, enduring imprisonment, deprivation, and nearly drowning before ultimately reaching freedom.

Ahmad states that he's a pianist, not a political activist, yet his account, told from the standpoint of an innocent bystander to the conflict, can't help but come down on the side of those who fought against the Syrian regime. He declares: "In those early months of the conflict, the so-called 'neutral' outsiders were in fact on Assad's side. It was like Germany in the 1930s, when everyone outside pretended not to know what was happening." He maintains the government knew the citizens of Yarmouk had nothing to do with the unrest - many were Palestinian refugees and the children of refugees and they were, in fact, grateful for the shelter they'd been given in the country – but the government deliberately emptied out the city so rebels would move in. "That way, they could surround the fighters. They didn't care about the people who still remained there." His concerts in the middle of this war-torn area were an act of defiance:

Whenever we pushed the piano through the deserted streets, we forgot about our empty stomachs. We felt powerful. We weren't alone anymore. This was our revolution. We had a mission: we wanted the world to see what was going here. We wanted to show how Assad was killing us, and that we were standing up to him.

His friends recorded Ahmad's performances and were able to post them to various social media platforms (kluging together an Internet connection that relied on batteries charged by peddling a bicycle). They were eventually seen by Europeans who were eager to help Ahmad tell his story, and although his escape attempt was incredibly risky, he was fortunate to have backers waiting for him in Germany. While life remained difficult for him – he had to reside in a refugee camp for a time and wasn't allowed to earn money for his performances – his German friends helped get him established and eventually were able to bring his wife and sons safely out of Syria. It made me ask myself, what about all the men, women and children who weren't famous, who didn't have talent?

By far one of the best memoirs I've read, The Pianist from Syria is relevant and timely, a story specific to Ahmad and his family while at the same time raising awareness of what must be an experience shared by many refugees from war-torn areas. I highly recommend it for anyone seeking a better understanding of the refugee experience in general and the Syrian conflict in particular. It would also be an excellent book group selection.

This is a story about the author from his refugee childhood in Syria, marriage, children and escape to Germany. Ahmad becomes an accomplished pianist through relentless encouragement of his blind father. Music and instruments are core to his family and livelihood. The primary setting is in Yarmouk, one of the most vibrant and crowded neighborhoods of Damascus. A history of the political uprising in Syria and insight into life in Yarmouk “being sealed off”, as the uprising progressed: starvation, no electricity, bombings, sniper, lack of medicine, fear.

Ahmad brought music literally to the streets during challenging times in a horrendous situation. His musical influence during these tough times is simply amazing. The book provides references to Youtube with Ahmad performing. Well worth watching. The story carries the reader through Ahmad’s hardships and his success as a musician after leaving Syria. His love of his family is apparent.

Anyone who enjoys biographies, history, memoirs, or just a good story should read this book. I seldom give five stars unless the book will stick with me for a long time. This book qualifies. I highly recommend it.

Sadly this was a DNF for me. I just could not relate to the characters. and maintain interest. Apologies.

The Pianist from Syria by Aeham Ahmad is a tragic and beautiful memoir. It really opens your eyes to the conflict in Syria and the hardships they face. Truly eye opening.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

“We began by pushing the piano out into a world of ruins, into the rubble of Yarmouk...Music was going to be my form of protest, even if no one heard me.”

Aeham Ahmad grew up around music in Syria. His blind father pushed him to become a great piano player and they eventually opened a music store together in Yarmouk and also taught music lessons. Aeham and his family lived a fairly happy life and Aeham was clearly going to have a great career in music.

Then the Syrian conflict broke out. Aeham, his parents and brother, and his wife and young son experienced the siege by the Syrian military and faced starvation. However, in the midst of destruction, Aeham and some friends began to play music in the rubble to bring people hope.

Eventually, Aeham makes the difficult journey to Germany. Once again, he’s able to play the piano and he later is able to bring his family to Germany.

I loved reading Aeham’s story and any review I write will not be able to capture the emotion or beauty of the story. Aeham and others managed to find hope through music in a horrible environment. This book is so moving and powerful. Aeham’s story is another about Syria that I will urge people to read as it provides another glimpse of humanity that is often glossed over in media coverage. Go read this book or at least listen to Aeham’s beautiful piano music.

This autobiography of a brave and courageous young man - a striving musician - a man of tremendous compassion and conviction, is food for the soul. For years, our news sources have affronted us with visions of war-torn Syria to which, for the most part, we've become inured. This amazing and heart-wrenching story is a wake-up call to those of us far from the horror and pain of the Syrian conflict. It gives voice to the trials, struggles, sorrow and fear of the refugee people trapped in the war-zone of Yarmouk. This refugee section of Damascus still represents home to those who settles and to those born and raised there. it is still home for those forced to flee. Author Aeham Ahmad is that refugee and this is his incredible story, thus far.

The story begins with a rich description of Aeham's youth; of his blind father's hope for his son's future as a concert pianist; of the struggles and sacrifices made in pursuit of that dream; and the dashing of that hope as the mortars and bullets fly and drive their dear Yarmouk to destruction and despair. People are fleeing yet Aeham's family chooses to stay. Life continues to worsen. The conditions Aeham's family and their neighbors endure are horrific and appallingly shocking. Yet through it all, this story carries a light of hope.

I was truly moved by Aeham's story. The videos of him playing piano amidst the rubble can be found on the internet and for me, greatly enriched the story as I read. If you would like to read a story of this ongoing conflict, written from the heart, then this could well be the book for you.

I am grateful to publisher Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for having provided an advance uncorrected reader's proof of this e-book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.

As someone who has studied piano extensively, I was very interested in reading this. But, as usual, the problem is editing. After 30% of the book read, the protagonist is still in high school (or whatever the equivalent was in Syria) and he is still talking about his teachers and the same problems over and over with teachers, school, father, etc. BORING.

I can’t stop thinking about this book, about Aeham, his family, and Syria in general. I have made it my goal to read as many personal narratives from different voices in Syria, so when I read about Aeham Ahmad’s upcoming memoir The Pianist From Syria, I jumped on it. It’s beautifully written, so vivid and clear, and you fall in love with Aeham and his family, and also in love with Yarmouk, their home.

The first half of the book describes Aeham’s youth, growing up in the area of Yarmouk in Damascus. He grows up with his father, a blind violinist, carpenter, and craftsman of musical instruments, his mother, and his younger brother, in an apartment within the family building. Aeham’s life revolves mainly around music and his father’s dreams for him: that he become a great classical pianist. Despite coming from a poor, refugee background, Aeham and his family work hard to make his father’s dream come true, getting Aeham the piano and the lessons that he needs. Aeham is also a typical teen, rebelling when he feels like he isn’t treated correctly, skipping school to find solace in the music he wants to play, but his rebellion is different from other kids his age, he seems to rebel against a system rather than against himself or his family.

If you have been following the war in Syria at all you have probably heard of Yarmouk, and the utter destruction of the area. Yarmouk began as a refugee camp for Palestinians after 1948, where they were welcomed and provided with the means to build homes, schools, a hospital etc. Over the years Yarmouk became a real home to many people, where the generation of refugees gave birth to another generation who then gave birth to another. Aeham’s narrative really gives the reader an insight into Yarmouk, the bustling community, the people, the lives, the homes, and the culture. Even though the word “camp” still seems to be attached to Yarmouk it had long become a part of Damascus, a place where people had settled for good as they had nowhere else to go, even though they still were not granted Syrian citizenship. Yarmouk was home to so many.

In the second half of the book Aeham tells us of the siege of Yarmouk, of how his family bunkered down and lived off of cinnamon water, clover, and red lentil falafels. How they had to line up when aid packages were finally allowed through, under the constant danger of snipers and checkpoints where young men could be picked out and arrested at any time. The situation between Yarmouk and the Syrian government and other rebel armies is complicated. Aeham has a way with words that helps the reader understand just how complicated it was/is. Obviously the whole war is complicated, and has been going on for so many years now, different countries fighting their own wars on Syrian ground, amidst the brutality of the Assad regime and the plight of the everyday Syrian just trying to survive being bombed, shot, and starvation. But Yarmouk was always a neutral refugee camp, which then found itself under siege, and then overrun by Al-Nusra and then ISIS, and then the Syrian army again. If you do a quick search on the internet you will see what happened to Yarmouk and wonder how on earth people were able to survive. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.

Aeham tells us of how amidst all of the hunger, despair, death, and destruction, music became a solace, and with the help of friends, and singers from the camp, he would wheel his piano around the streets of Yarmouk, and sing. They would sing songs written by the people of Yarmouk, singing of their plight, of their despair, and their hope. His YouTube videos made the rounds around the world, and then one photo of him playing the piano amidst the rubble was taken and made headlines.

Amongst Aeham’s story lies the story of lives destroyed by war, of survivor guilt and anger, but it also is a story of courage, strength, and humanity. I also found that Aeham did a wonderful job showing how fast life can go from normal to a warzone, however rich or poor you are, wherever you may live. Before 2011 Yarmouk was a thriving community, today it is rubble, all the while other areas of Damascus continue on as if the country were not in turmoil. You can’t help imagining yourself in Aeham’s situation and wondering how you would fare. The Pianist From Syria is a sobering read, obviously because of the sheer sadness of the narrative, and the despair of so many people, but also because of the ease of how it happened.

Aeham’s honesty and voice are so strong and important: one I feel we should all read and listen to. I worry that people have become so numb to the suffering of others, but hopefully voices like Aeham’s will provide a greater view of what it means to be Syrian, and what it means to be a refugee. I also hope it will help people to understand how dangerous the country is for young Syrian men, and why so many flee. Often it is because the only other prospect is dying in a prison somewhere and never being found again.

Thank you Aeham for your beautiful words, and for sharing your story. Also thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

An interesting read; the voice of a Syrian refugee finding purpose in music and seeking refuge for himself and his family. A thought-provoking book.

Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley, for a digital ARC.

Thank you Atria Books for the free review copy.
Aeham's writing is absolutely stunning and I could not put this down. His story is equally tragic, heartbreaking, uplifting, and beautiful. How one man and one family could survive so much with that resilience is astounding. He is truly inspiring. My heart breaks for all the people that have been left to starve, suffer torture, and live in constant fear. I felt his words truly showed the despair from the people under siege. My hope is that everyone will read this to gain a better understanding of the suffering in Syria and the refugee crisis. Truly an inspiring read that I would recommend to everyone.