cover image Escape from Aleppo

Escape from Aleppo

N.H. Senzai. S&S/Wiseman, $16.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-4814-7217-3

Senzai (Ticket to India) crafts a harrowing novel about a 14-year-old girl’s flight from war-torn Syria in 2013 that captures the reality of the conflict while illuminating the culture and history of the country. After an explosion buries Nadia under rubble, her family is forced to flee without her. When Nadia tries to trace their steps, she meets an enigmatic elderly bookbinder, Ammo Mazen, who promises to take her to the meeting place. Senzai effectively sketches the ever-changing dangers and varied combatants, including a band of rebel women, as Nadia and Ammo take on two orphans and wend their way through the city, trying to reach the Turkish border. Flashbacks illustrate the charms of Nadia’s family and their life before the fighting, including birthday celebrations and the promise of Arab Spring. Though some of the plot machinations are a tad convoluted, the novel’s taut pacing and memorable heroine result in a gripping and intense story of the traumas inflicted on Syria’s citizens. Ages 8–12. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Jan.)