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The Stray Cats of Homs

The unforgettable, heart-breaking novel inspired by extraordinary true events

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

‘This is a searing and incredibly important book, storytelling at its best’ Donal Ryan

‘A cat has seven souls in Arabic. In English cats have nine lives. You probably have both nine lives and seven souls, because otherwise I don’t know how you’ve made it this far.'

Sami’s childhood is much like any other - an innocent blend of family and school, of friends and relations and pets (including stray cats and dogs, and the turtle he keeps on the roof).

But growing up in one of the largest cities in Syria, with his country at war with itself, means that nothing is really normal. And Sami’s hopes for a better future are ripped away when he is conscripted into the military and forced to train as a map maker.

Sami may be shielded from the worst horrors of the war, but it will still be impossible to avoid his own nightmare…

Inspired by extraordinary true events, The Stray Cats of Homs is the story of a young man who will do anything to keep the dream of home alive, even in the face of unimaginable devastation. Tender, wild and unbearably raw, it is a novel which will stay with you for ever.

©Eva Nour 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 Biographical Fiction Classics Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Political Biography Cats War Middle East

Critic reviews

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.
Profoundly affecting and deeply soulful . . . This book will stay with me forever.
This warm, captivating and inspiring story shows that even the bottomless horrors of war-torn Syria are no match for the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit and the power of love and friendship.
Compelling and uncompromising.
Incredible... a deeply interesting and loving recounting of not just Sami's experience, but the wider story of the people of Syria.
[The Stray Cats of Homs] burns and it stings; each sentence is an accusation - but to read it is to begin to pay a debt that all of us owe. If you can't alleviate the pain, the least you can do is not shut your eyes to the suffering.
The Stray Cats of Homs 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.
A vital and affecting narrative ... imbued with emotional and personal authenticity.
[A] beautiful, heart-rending book.
It’s been a long time since a book kept me up all night, but Eva Nour’s The Stray Cats of Homs did. A tender, yet wild and tangible testimony bearing witness to the tragedy in Syria.
All stars
Most relevant
extremely thought provoking. Not an easy listen but worthwhile. I would recommend this particularly if you appreciated the bee keeper of aleppo

a beautiful book extremely moving

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