a price that is higher

I joined the Life's Library Book Club hosted by John Green and Rosianna Halse Rojas. 

The most recent book to be sent out is We Crossed A Bridge And It Trembled: Voices from Syria by Wendy Pearlman.  

Pearlman interviewed over 300 Syrian refugees over four years and compiled their stories in this book. If you want to better understand the conflict in Syria, this book is excellent. 

The story follows Syria's trajectory from authoritarianism to revolution to war to exile.

From Wendy Pearlman's introduction:

I made this trajectory the arc of the book, and culled excerpts from testimonials that I believed could best walk readers through its steps. I chose to reserve the text completely for Syrians' own words; I was convinced that they provided not only personal anecdotes, but also analytical insight that could explain developments in their country without need for my additional narration. This does not mean, however, that the book is without narrative. The narrative lies in the sequencing of entries such that each builds on that which precedes it, connects to those that follow, and divulges a new layer of this multi-layered history. 

This book beautifully humanizes the devastation taking place in Syria. The collection of testimonials produces empathy better than any history book could possibly do.

This book should be recommended reading. 
Get it for all the young adults you know. 

“We know that freedom has a price. Democracy has a price. But maybe we paid a price that is higher than freedom and higher than democracy. There is always a price for freedom. But not this much.” 

― Wendy Pearlman, We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria