For those of us living in the west, we can have no comprehension what’s it’s like to live day to day in a war torn environment such as Syria. This novel based on factual incidents brings to life the changes brought about by the regime. The main character Sami grows up in a loving family, happy, going about daily life as any other young adult with hopes for the future. Life rapidly deteriorates with the call up for military service being unavoidable, forced to do the unthinkable, against everything you believe in. The return to the city he grew up in is to a place he no longer recognises, he struggles along with others to remain and continue to connect and have relationships despite the humanitarian disaster taking place around him.

Thanks to Netgalley the author and publishers for an ARC of this book

Heartbreaking and harrowing, Eva Nour's novel is a semi-fictionalised, name-changed, tale of events during the Arab Spring, uprising, and civil war. I previously read We Crossed A Bridge And It Trembled by Wendy Pearlman which is a series of interviews with people from various experiences during the same time period. That collection is brilliant, and I highly recommend it to readers who enjoyed this book. The difference here is that we follow one continuous narrative, end to end, and that causes a greater connection to Sami.

Eva's prose is wonderfully evocative, between that and the subject matter I teared up a number of times. Both at the tragic events that Sami had to live through and the guilt of my country for not helping, in some way. This is a story to make one humble, and grateful, and angry. Angry at a world who let these Syrians suffer for years untold, and angry at myself for not really paying attention after the Arab Spring.

I'm sorry Sami, we let you down.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced reader's copy. This is a beautifully written, tender book that will stay with me for a long time.

This book was a harrowing but an important read.

It tells the story of Sami, a Syrian from Homs. We start with learning a little about his life before the 2011 Arab Spring and how his quality of life deteriorates and the horrors he goes through at the hand of the regime.

Although in the news we are introduced to the atrocities carried out by the Assad regime, this personal view of it brings it all to life in the most horrific way.

This is a fictionalised account and not a non-fiction book but it is based on the story of a real Syrian.

I would thoroughly recommend this book .

This is a story about Sami growing up in war torn Syria. It travels through his childhood memories of friends, relationships, family and school.

All is relatively normal until Sami attempts to avoid compulsory conscription - he is tortured and punished for this and is forced into the army anyway. The true horrors of the regime begin to be experienced.

The book is clearly based on true factual accounts of the siege of Homs and personal torture. However, for me it was told in a impersonal wasy and I was disappointed with at least half of the book for this reason. There was plenty to digest and think about but it never really dealt with the personal effect of these horrors on the individuals and their lives, relationships etc: perhaps this was the point - to desensitize it by taking the emotion out to let one make one's own mind up but the writing didn't grip me like I was hoping.

Thanks to NetGalley

I wanted to read this book to understand better the recent history of Syria. It is the story of Sami, a young man who lives with his family in Homs, and the way the conflict affects his life. Written in a very matter of fact way, the horrors and tribulations Sami endures are presented in an almost journalistic style which makes them sometimes difficult to accept. It’s only at the end that it is revealed that the author was (and still is) actually a part of Sami’s life.

I choose to read this book because I believe that we all need to know more about how the 'rest of the world' lives in our present times. I particularly want to understand more about why and what the myriads of refuges from countries like Syria are fleeing their own countries and cultures. This book helps to put us on that path. It is written in a journalistic, documentary style which gives the whole narrative more of a sense of realism. If you choose to read on then you will undoubtedly become invested in the characters portrayed and your heat and mind moved towards the plight of such people groups on our world today.

Initially I thought that this book read like an extended magazine article, perhaps due to the journalistic background of the author. It also was quite matter-of-fact at the beginning and I didn't feel the emotion.

However, as the book continued, I became more and more invested in Sami's life and felt like I was holding my breath a lot of the time.

The postscript for me was a real punch to the gut and I nearly cried (on the train!). I've thought about this a lot since as I wondered whether the book would have had more impact if I had known at the beginning about Eva and Sami and that the book is based on Sami's real life. I've come to the conclusion that I was glad I didn't know - that jolt of pure emotion right at the end was what made the book for me.

A harrowing read that really brings to light the devastation that war can bring on ordinary people trying to live their lives. The book was really well written and really struck a chord.

Really enjoyed this book, an insight of how life as we know it can change so quickly when a war breaks out.

The people and family lost, homes destroyed, no signs of any past as we know it. A must read to see how one mans family and home are ruined by war that is still ongoing.

This book is a total eye opener. Sami’s life in Syria will stay in my mind for a long time. It is great that this story has been told. There is so much suffering in this book but there are also times when the goodness in humanity shines through.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

‘The Stray Cats of Homs’ by Eva Nour tells the story of Sami and his struggle for survival during the siege of Homs. It is based on true events and the central character is the author’s partner in actuality.
Nour takes us back to the early days of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, a leader who ‘assumed his new role wholeheartedly and then some.’ Gradually, Sami’s relaxed and happy life as a university student and IT entrepreneur becomes fraught with anxiety and then downright terror. He is arrested when he tries to dodge national service and, after a time in prison, endures brutal military training and leaves the army just before the siege of Homs begins.
Whilst most of his family manage to escape Homs before the fighting begins in earnest between Assad’s troops and the Free Syrian army, Sami and his younger brother Malik remain, recording events and communicating when possible with the outside world. Inevitably, health suffers, friends die, lovers drift apart and parents are little more than imagined shadows of the past.
This is an important story, not least because many in the West are unaware of how the people of Homs and other besieged Syrian cities have suffered in their fight against totalitarianism. We all watch the news and see the utter desecration of the buildings. We listen to the citizens wondering why they have been left to suffer but we are mostly incapable of understanding just how horrendous this suffering is. Eva Nour makes it real in ‘The Stray Cats of Homs', focusing on the bravery and determination shown as well as the despair and the degradation. This is certainly a novel that needs to be read, not least because it reminds us of what happens to a society when democracy is allowed to die.
At times, Nour’s writing becomes overly journalistic in style, not least towards the end of Sami’s story, and this prevents the reader from becoming completely immersed in his position as ‘outsider’. A pity – again we could do with understanding life from a refugee’s point of view a little more. Nevertheless, to read this novel is to be brought face to face with the Syrian people’s terrible suffering, and to admire their strength of spirit as they try to counter the destruction of their country in whatever ways they can.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

The story of Sami, a young man in Syria, as with the conflict, his world collapses around him. Trying to evade military service, Sami eventually finds himself imprisoned and then obliged to complete a protracted stay in the military experiencing many horrors under Assad's regime.

It was only when I got to the end of the book (a beautifully written ending) that I realised Eva Nour is a pseudonym, used to protect the real identities of Sami and others.

A contemporary, hard-hitting account of the terrible conditions existing in Syria, and one man's story. An important read for us all.

The Stray Cats of Homs is an astonishing book - brave, tender and sometimes unbearable to read. The degradation of the Syrian people is told through Sami’s journey from child to college, work to national service and then his survival during the siege of Homs. The brutality and agony coupled with the sweetest joys, of honey and oranges, will never leave me. Beautifully understated writing.

I found it difficult to get into the story and i sadly gave up part way though. I felt what i did read was well written though and perhaps i'll pick the book up again in the future.

Description of the book was great, but it doesn't seem to have anything in common with the novel itself.. I did manage to read 3rd of it, but not going to carry on... So far it all seemed to be about nothing really. Describing "some boy's" life with nothing interesting going on. None of the characters do really stand out, so it doesn't take long until you start to get confused with them. Unfortunately I don't have anything good at all to say about this book. It might get better later, but it took too much effort to get this far and I have absolutely no wish to carry on..

Nothing, NOTHING has brought the realities of the Syrian Civil War home to me like this novel, a mostly true, occasionally fictionalised, account of the life and experiences of the author's partner, 'Sami'.
Sami is the second youngest son of a loving family. There are a few chapters to begin with which demonstrate the idyllic childhood Sami and his siblings had, infused with the usual family conflicts and jealousies and the occasional formative experience but always with an awareness of "walls having ears". So the harrowing slide from hopeful revolution to soul-sapping war is especially painful. Sami bears witness to the destruction and errosion of his friends, family, culture, hopes and dreams and the humanity and empathy with which the story is told truly highlights the lack of options that ordinary civilians faced as they were trapped between a rock and a hard place.
There were numerous times during and after reading this where I wept with frustration and pain at the cost this war exacted and continues to do so, and even with glimmers of hope and empathy and Sami's seemingly nine lives, the horrors will stay with you long after you finish this. The book takes moments I remember seeing on the news and not fully understanding at the time, and fleshes them out fully with context. An absolute must read.

Heartbreaking, but at the same time fascinating, it is a story of courageous people trying to live, not just survive, in a war torn country. I am so glad I read this, because it made the war that you see on TV real to me and I felt it opened my eyes to the horror of it all. This book will stay with me for a very long time.
Eva Nour has written this from the heart, thank you for doing so.
Thank you netgalley.

The Stray Cats of Homs is an emotional and heartrending story of survival and hope in the direst of circumstances. We follow Sami through a mostly idyllic childhood in the Syrian city of Homs, with his siblings and loving parents. It isn’t until he becomes a teenager that he realises the tension that has begun to crop up within the country and he is forced into military service. This period changes his entire life and his views on his government and what he can do to help inspire change and revolution. Eva Nour has penned a truly beautiful novel. which follows the Syrian war and the far reaching consequences for the Syrian people.

One of the novels biggest strengths is Nours writing, which has some really poetic passages and quotes to sections where it’s more informative and factual. I think some readers may find some of the chapters more heavy with historical points and references but I thought it fit in with the novel well. These parts will educate readers who may be unfamiliar with the conflict and give them a basis, from which to research and educate themselves further.

As well as the writing itself, I thought Sami was such an incredible person and so strong for all he goes through and yet he still manages to retain hope. While this is obviously very difficult at times given all he goes through during the course of the novel and in the conflict, he finds the will to survive and also expose the injustices around him through photography. He joins a network of rebels and media organisations which focus on activism and portraying the realities to the rest of Syria and the international community. This shows how photography can be such a powerful tool in times of strife and prove to be so impactful.

I would also like to note that the novel is based on a true events, and is written under a pseudonym Eva Nour, for and with the real Sami present. The pseudonym is to protect the writer and Sami. I think the fact that I knew it was based on true events added so much more gravity and urgency to the novel and it made me so happy to know that he has found some happiness and is now safe and sound.

Overall, The Stray Cats of Homs is a memorable read and a testament to the human spirit. I would encourage everyone to pick up this novel and read Samis experiences for themselves, it is so vital and emotive and will stay with you.

Review to be posted on blog closer to publication date.

Such a difficult and heartbreaking read. How young Sami , in fact anyone trying to survive in a war torn country like Lebanon, manages to keep some dignity and self respect I do not know! This was heartbreaking on times and it would have been easy to just shut the book but Nour grabbed and held m6 attention!