A review by betweenbookends
The Morning They Came for Us: Dispatches from Syria by Janine di Giovanni

3.0

Completely harrowing and emotionally devastating, this is such an important read. While the Syrian refugee crisis, the recent chemical attacks, and so many other devastating incidents have been in the news, the bloodied history of this country and the lives lost is unthinkable. In this memoir, Giovanni, a reporter who has been investigating and interviewing both sides (the Assad govt, and the rebel forces) since 2011, gives a detailed account of the bloodshed and violence that has rocked Syria. It's absolutely traumatising when Giovanni describes the scenes in different parts of Syria and it feels unreal and post-apocalyptic, like a scene from the Walking Dead. To read about the young children, families, the innumerable civilians whose daily life is interspersed with the sounds of bombs and daily sights are dismembered bodies strewn about, is completely horrifying. Giovanni's memoir ends on a very unsettling and disturbing note as the situation in Syria spirals out of control. It haunts you long after you've read it and is a reminder of how cruel humanity can be.

The only aspect which was a bit of misfire for me, is Giovanni tends to write sometimes as a stream of consciousness and it takes focus from the horrific events to her perceptions instead.