Several women in different countries were crucial in all stages of creating this book—from initial idea and proposal to research and writing and final production. I am grateful to all of them. I am also grateful to Manaf Tlass, Mazen Darwish, Khaled al-Khani, Sally Masalmeh, and the more than fifty people—most of them Syrians scattered all over the world—for agreeing to participate in many interviews and re-interviews.
I have to thank Caroline Ayoub for her early collaboration and unwavering support throughout. Her courage and commitment to coexistence and a new Syria were inspirational. “Syrians speak ten languages now, nothing can stop them,” she told me in 2019. Thanks to Lina Sinjab for introducing me to Caroline and reminding me what I should be looking for to better understand Syria.
In Damascus, I am indebted to all the Syrians who helped me in every way do my work and stay safe while I was based there as a reporter for almost two years. I know I can’t mention your names for security reasons but I am absolutely certain that sooner or later you’ll “come out to the sun, light, and freedom,” as the Fairuz song promises. I owe so much to my Damascus-based research assistant, who took immense personal risks by agreeing to work with me after I was expelled by the regime.
In Lebanon, I am thankful to Malek Mrowa for helping me secure an interview that was vital for some of the depictions of the early years of the Assad children.
In Turkey, I am especially thankful to Isam al-Rayyes, as well as the contributions and insights of Suhair al-Atassi, Mohammad Munir al-Faqir, Khaled Khoja, Riad Seif, Diab Serriya, Oubai Shahbandar, Mohammad Farouk Tayfour, and many others. I also need to thank Fadi Ahmad for all his assistance in the Syrian-Turkish border zone.
In Qatar, sheiks Moaz al-Khatib and Ahmed al-Sayasneh shed light on key moments of the Syrian struggle for dignity and freedom.
In Jordan, Suha Ma’ayeh and Wajd Dehne provided invaluable assistance.
In Paris, I am immensely grateful to Joseph Bahout, Michel Duclos, and Isabelle Hausser for their contributions, insights, and all their generous assistance in securing key interviews. I need to thank Éric Chevallier for taking the time during a family holiday as well as a diplomatic crisis situation in Qatar to shine light on so many crucial moments of this narrative with honesty and above all humanity. I will forever treasure the hours spent with Burhan Ghalyoun talking Syria, past and present, as well as the prescient insights of Ghassan Salamé on the Assads, Arab Spring, and curse of the Middle East’s “neo-patrimonial” regimes. Many thanks also for the contributions of Ammar Abd Rabbo, Khattar Abou-Diab, Shadi Abufakher, Ayman al-Aswad, Laurent Fabius, Michel Kilo, Noureddin Labbad, Georges Malbrunot, Haitham al-Manaa, Bernard Pêcheur, Bilal Zaiter, and others who wished to remain anonymous. And thanks to Tammam al-Omar for the powerful book cover.
In Berlin, I learned a lot from Anwar al-Bunni and Joumana Seif about life for the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who sought refuge in Germany and the courageous quest by some of them to hold the Assad family accountable for its crimes. Ayham Majid-Agha graciously hosted me at his home to speak about the Syrian spirit and character, and Manuela Zahradnik made it possible for me to sit in on a German-language class for Syrian refugees.
In London, I must thank Rana Kabbani and Damian Quinn for pointing me in the right direction and helping me secure key interviews.
Before the book, I had the privilege of working at the Wall Street Journal with a talented and incredibly devoted team of editors and reporters on covering Syria and the Arab Spring, one of the most consequential stories of our time. I am indebted to my former editor Bill Spindle for his fortitude and unflinching support during some of the darkest hours. I will also never forget the colleagues who put their hearts and souls into telling Syria’s story: the great Nour Alak (aka Jimmy), Nour Malas, Rima Abushakra, Rudeynah Baalbaky, Dana Ballout, Maria Abi-Habib, Raja Abdulrahim, Carole Alfarah, Farnaz Fassihi, Joe Parkinson, Ayla Albayrak, and many others across the region and the world, including Jill Kirschenbaum and Sarah Slobin.
At the Journal, I owe special thanks to Sam Enriquez for his patience and empathy while editing my stories from Syria and for pushing me to write this book.
I am lucky to be published by Reagan Arthur, who believed in the book’s importance. I am equally fortunate to have collaborated with Little, Brown’s talented executive editor Vanessa Mobley; her profound empathy, thoughtful edits, and sure-handed guidance made all the difference. Thanks also to Ira Boudah, Sareena Kamath, Lena Little, Mario Pulice, and many others at Little, Brown.
I am also deeply grateful to Michael Noon (aka Abu Phin) at Little, Brown’s managing editorial department and his colleagues, especially Michael Fleming and Melissa Mathlin, for all their heroic efforts.
I can’t imagine this book ever coming to life without my amazing literary agent, Christy Fletcher; her guidance and support through every aspect of the process were indispensable. I must also thank Sarah Fuentes at Fletcher & Co. for commenting on and editing an early draft.
Finally, I need to thank all my friends for their encouragement and support, including but not limited to the following: Nisar for pushing me to just sit down and write, Uffe and Silvan for hosting me in Berlin, Nayla for hosting me in New York and surrounding me with her love, Zina for hearing me out and offering very sound advice, Nadim and Claude for the wonderful breaks from writing, Laurent for the Paris breaks, and Frank for the hiking trips.
Of course nothing would have been possible without the unconditional love and support of my family in the United States.