Official Review: Shadows of Damascus by Lilas Taha

[ITnker]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Shadows of Damascus" by Lilas Taha.]

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Even though a book of fiction, Shadows of Damascus is a story based on a man’s devotion to keep a promise. Adam, an American soldier, makes a promise to an interpreter assigned to his patrol unit, Fadi, in return for saving his life during the heat of battle in Iraq. Fadi later realizes Adam will be the answer to save his sister, Yasmeen, from the Syrian government’s atrocities on Syrian civilians, asking Adam to live up to his promise. A story with twists and turns as two adults seek to understand each other’s boundaries, past experiences, and inner fears.

Yasmeen is brought to America to live with a man she knows nothing about. Left with the struggle to understand the American way of living and lingo, Yasmeen copes with the man she shares a home with and growing concern for what she has left behind in Syria. At the same time, Adam changes his world to keep his promise, as he struggles with inner emotions and tries to understand the woman he has opened his home for. The combination of paths they follow as they fight to conquer a painful history and accept new realities are compelling and believable.

Lilas Taha presents a story closely related to modern day events. The story line of the book is not your typical romance novel, yet offers the insight of how two individuals can overcome differences. The characters are believable and not made out to be heroes nor have the illusion of exaggerated abilities. Lilas does a great job of drawing out the characters and the true meaning of how life events affect decisions made from the heart.

What a book?! Shadows of Damascus could be categorized as a fiction of drama or romance. Not normally my choice of genres, but this book was intriguing enough not to want to put it down. This book kept my interest and with a yearning to know what was going to happen next. The author does an excellent job keeping the story moving and the reader guessing as to what’s coming.

Based on the content and how the story moves, I rate this book with 4 out of 4 stars. A good read for anyone who enjoys romance and drama, and even for those of us who would not give such genres the time of day. A short story well written, with the substance to keep the reader intrigued, this story is definitely worth someone’s time.

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[Lilas Taha]

ITnker, thank you for your review of my book. I am very pleased to know how the story captured your interest.

[5032010782]

It is very beautiful to fall in love

[Lilas Taha]

Absolutely!

[DEON1]

seems like a great read!

[kio]

sounds good, I'll have to try it.

[emsmith0421]

I love that you stated this was not your normal choice of genres-I too am pleasantly surprised when I read something I can't put down and was not expecting it to be that captivating. I must read this!

[Lilas Taha]

I'm so glad you find this interesting. I hope you'll enjoy it, and would love to get your feedback once you do read it,

[casper]

Not my usual genre but this sounds a great book with an interesting story line and sympathetic characters. Thank you for your well written review.

[dishaprashant]

One of my usual genres. Excellent review ITnker. Reading stories revolving around war lorn countries makes your heart bleed. And setting up a story on this backdrop is a challenge in itself. Will surely read this book. Lilas Taha I will definitely read this book and share my feedback at the earliest.

[Lilas Taha]

I will appreciate your feedback and look forward to it.