Review: The Book Collectors of Daraya

The Book Collectors of Daraya by Delphine Minoui
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the story here, but I felt the journalistic approach left it feeling a little distant.

The author writes about the siege of Daraya, and the bond she develops from a distance with the men who resist. They have rescued books from their destroyed city and brought them together into an underground library, where the name of the original owner can be found in the front page of every book.

This book uses the library as a grounding point, but mostly it talks about the reluctant warriors these men have become, and how their situation becomes more and more desperate as bombs continue to rain down on Daraya.

One major issue I had was that there wasn't enough information for me to properly understand what exactly was happening and why. I willingly admit I am rather ignorant of the wars raging overseas (I deliberately avoid depressing news) so I couldn't quite understand who the opposing forces were here, why they were bombing the town, and what the town's inhabitants were protesting. It was hard to get a proper feel for the situation, and what was at stake, and what had caused things to become so dire for these men.

I loved the personal anecdotes and getting to know these men, but I feel first hand accounts would have made the impact greater. Instead, we get their stories through the filter of a journalist who seeks to create mood and atmosphere from a story that would pack more of a punch in its raw form.

Overall, I really enjoyed this glimpse into a world so foreign to my own, but I do feel the journalistic approach meant the story missed the mark in the long run. Instead of tension and high emotion, I felt very distant from these men and what they went through.

Which is a real shame, because their story is incredible.

It's worth a read so that you can see a little more of an insider view of a war zone, but ultimately this won't tug the heartstrings as much as it should.

With thanks to Macmillan for a copy

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