City of Sparrows
by Eva Nour
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Pub Date 15 Sep 2020 | Archive Date 17 Nov 2020
Melville House Publishing | Melville House
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Description
Growing up in Syria in the 1990s, Sami’s childhood was unremarkable. His day-to-day life largely sheltered him from the horrors of the authoritarian government, until he founded a successful internet company—which landed him on the regime’s radar. Suddenly Sami finds himself in jail, then forcibly enlisted into the Syrian army during the early days of a fast-growing civil uprising.
Assigned to the mapmaking division, Sami yearns to simply serve his time and go home, even as he finds himself literally charting the course of the army’s response to the growing revolt. The situation that hits him full-force when he receives a text from his girlfriend: “They’re shooting at us.”
With that, Sami realizes that it is not enough to endure Assad's regime -- he has to resist. He has to return home, to the city that will become known as the "capital of the revolution."
Based on true events as told to journalist Eva Nour, City of Sparrows is the story of coming of age under siege and the power of hope in the face of unfathomable loss.
A Note From the Publisher
The Syrian civil war has resulted in over 6 million refugees; by far, the largest refugee crisis of the 21st century
Sami is a young man coming of age, persevering, determined, an evolving leader for his family and friends, a survivor. His story will have YA cross over appeal
War diary quality to the narrative.
Advance Praise
"City of Sparrows brings to life the human, inside story of one of the most brutal sieges in recent history, with Syria's Assad trying to break the will of young rebels daring to stand up to the dictator and taking refuge in an ancient city. The novel is as revealing as it is inspiring with its depictions of the lengths heroes will go to in search of personal freedom." — Mark Sullivan, author of Beneath a Scarlet Sky
"An absolutely riveting novel . . . a rare and precious humanizing of the terrible conflagration in Syria. Eva is a writer of the first order and this is a searing and incredibly important book, storytelling at its best." — Donal Ryan, author of All We Shall Know
"It's been a long time since a book kept me up all night, but City of Sparrows did. A tender, yet wild and tangible testimony bearing witness to the tragedy in Syria." — Theodor Kallifatides, author of The Siege of Troy: A Novel
"An artistically flawless novel, written as an act of protest, but also as a poetic declaration of love." — Svenska Dagbladet
"City of Sparrows is a study in survival and a portrayal of the utter hell of the Syrian war. The novel reveals what can never be told by the news reports." — Landskrona Posten
Marketing Plan
National media campaign including print, online, and radio w/ a strong focus on the author and need to use a pseudonym for safety reasons
Target major NPR Radio campaign - All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Fresh Air
Target book features and author interviews in major print publications including the Atlantic, the New Yorker, New York Magazine, the Nation, New York Times Magazine, and more
Target major feature coverage at GQ, Esquire, Vogue, Vanity Fair, as well as Time, Newsweek, and book coverage at Entertainment Weekly, People, O Magazine, Elle, etc.
Anticipate book review coverage with the New York Times Book Review, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, etc.
Target author interviews on local NPR stations in major markets including KCRW, WNYC, KQED, WHYY, WBUR and more.
Aggressive social media and Bookstagram campaign highlighting true story
Q&A with author and Sami about the creation of the book and the true story
Finished copies to high profile Bookstagrammers, authors, and readers of comp titles
Position for book club adoptions
Newsletter campaign to general audience (18K recipients), librarians (17K), booksellers (7K), and targeted academics
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781612198521 |
| PRICE | US$26.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 304 |
