Without Borders: Syria by Susanne Burge
Ana, a young doctor working at Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan, does not understand the implications of eleven year old Rahim's disclosure until it is too late. The daily trauma she bears witness to takes its toll and she has demons of her own to contend with. Not least, the self-styled mafiosa don who seems to control this camp and his terrifying companion she believes to be a commander with ISIS, Qassem. Aware of the horrors Rahim survived, Ana does not for a moment consider him capable of going back into Syria for the little brother they left behind. Then, one day, he disappears. Compelled to go to their rescue, Ana heads for a secret field hospital in besieged Old Homs but, by the time she arrives, she has barely escaped the clutches of ISIS, putting those who help her in mortal danger. And then she meets Caleb. He came back to help his mother and find his father, a journalist `disappeared' during the first uprisings. They fall in love and, determined to get Ana out as soon as possible, Caleb agrees to help her find the children. All does not go according to plan. Captured by the dreaded Shabiha and handed over to their monstrous leader, Ana experiences herself, both agonising injustice and courageous love. For bound by a dreadful secret, neither Qassem nor Caleb, are who they appear to be. Without ultimate sacrifice, their fateful history looks likely to repeat itself and once again, innocence will pay the price...