The New York Times Book Review - Eliza Griswold
Many of these voices render themselves unforgettable…These oral histories aren't dutiful case studies. Instead, Pearlman shapes her subjects' narratives, winnowing interviews down to stirring illustrations of human adaptation…Pearlman's oral histories…will remain essential reading in the emerging body of literary reportage from Syria in English…What makes [We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled] particularly necessary is [the] insistence on foregrounding the extraordinary heroism of ordinary Syrians…
Publishers Weekly
★ 03/27/2017
Pearlman (Violence, Nonviolence, and the Palestinian National Movement), a Northwestern University professor of political science specializing in the Middle East, collects powerful firsthand accounts from Syrians displaced by the ongoing civil war. In the introduction, Pearlman remarks that she and others initially doubted the Arab Spring would ever reach Syria, a sentiment repeated throughout. The book cannot cover the perspective of all Syrians, Pearlman acknowledges, but it does accomplish the goal of humanizing those interviewed, showing them simply as people rather than either victims or security threats. The book is divided into eight sections, with the first, “Authoritarianism,” dealing with Syria before the protests. After part four, “Crackdown,” the stories start to feel relentless in their despair—at one point, an interviewee says, “It had been so long since I heard someone died from natural causes”—but one would be hard pressed to call this a fault. It’s unsurprising to see the anger not just toward Syrian president Bashar al-Assad but also toward the international community, with its many “red lines” for Assad crossed and ignored. Nonetheless, the book is filled with hope, informed by an understanding of the unity possible in spite of the discord sowed by Assad. Agent: Ayesha Pande, Ayesha Pande Literary. (June)
From the Publisher
Many of these voices are unforgettable...Pearlman shapes her subjects’ narratives, winnowing interviews down to stirring examples of human adaptation...essential reading.” — New York Times Book Review
“Heart-stopping…Syrians, Pearlman writes, are too often cast as ‘victims to be pitied, bodies to be sheltered, radicals to be denounced or threats to be feared ... it can be difficult to find chances to listen to actual Syrians as human beings’. But she has listened.” — The Guardian
“Pearlman spoke with hundreds of displaced Syrians…. Common among the spare and haunting testimonies of these mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters are the loss and reappearance of hope, humanity, and dreams of new freedom. This powerfully edifying work of witness is essential reading.” — Booklist (starred review)
“A heartbreaking, human, and necessary book. Recommended for anyone who wishes to better understand the Syrian conflict.” — Library Journal
“It’s unsurprising to see the anger not just toward Syrian president Bashar al-Assad but also toward the international community...Nonetheless, the book is filled with hope, informed by an understanding of the unity possible in spite of the discord sowed by Assad.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A timely and useful exploration into the events leading up to and following the Syrian uprising and ongoing refugee crisis.” — VICE
“A gut-wrenching collection of true experiences of Syrians whose lives have been transformed, often torn apart, by the ongoing conflict. A breathtaking yet haunting work of nonfiction, this necessary book could not have come at a better time.” — Bustle
“Profoundly important…Pearlman, an accomplished political scientist, has chosen to let her Syrian interlocutors speak for themselves. What emerges is a complex, engaging and difficult oral history, which deserves a wide readership.” — Mark Lynch, Professor of Political Science at George Washington University and author of The New Arab Wars: Anarchy and Uprising in the Middle East and The Arab Uprising: The Unfinished Revolutions of the New Middle East
“An important book for anyone who wants to understand the root causes of the Syrian tragedy…There are many different competing “realities” of the Syrian conflict and the many voices recorded in this book capture this perfectly.” — Andreas Krüger, Ambassador for the Negotiations on Syria, Federal Foreign Office of Germany
“Incendiary—this heart-wrenching testament could not be more timely. Beyond headlines or breaking news or political posturing, this work of witness allows real people to expose Syria’s terrifying heart.” — Luis Alberto Urrea, author of The Devil’s Highway and Into The Beautiful North
“The West has been repeatedly numbed to the human rights travesty of the authoritarian Assad regime—or worse, encouraged to think of its victims as outsiders—but these accounts fly in the face of that selfish idea.” — Elle.com
“An important work — vivid, moving, and unforgettable.” — Omnivoracious
“A moving collection of personal accounts from Syrians covering the time before the conflict with Bashar Al-Assad to now.” — Rebellious Magazine
“Profoundly important…Pearlman, an accomplished political scientist, has chosen to let her Syrian interlocutors speak for themselves. What emerges is a complex, engaging and difficult oral history, which deserves a wide readership.” — Mark Lynch, Professor of Political Science at George Washington University and author of The New Arab Wars: Anarchy and Uprising in the Middle East and The Arab Uprising: The Unfinished Revolutions of the New Middle East
“Pearlman’s book is not only important because it puts names to suffering, but also because it reminds readers—especially in the final segment, “Reflections”—that in the Syrian conflict, “there is no right or wrong,” only problematic “shades of gray.” A poignant and humane collection.” — Kirkus Reviews
“To read these pages, to meet these men and women, is to cross a bridge ourselves, and to tremble: at the fragility of social order…but also at the love, anger, terror, trauma, compassion, endurance, awe, and determination a single human voice can convey.” — Larry Siems, author of The Torture Report and editor of Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s Guantanamo Diary
“Pearlman masterfully stitches together a collective journey, stories moving seamlessly from one to the next...The disparate voices, ranging from defiant, funny, mournful, wistful, and tragic, form a complex narrative of the Syrian tragedy—my story, my family’s stories, the stories of the people and lives that we lost.” — Lina Sergie Attar, cofounder and chief executive of the Karam Foundation
“A powerful must read book for anyone wanting to understand what’s happening in Syria and why it matters.” — Chicago Review of Books
“A stunning mosaic of narratives told in vignettes of varying lengths. It’s hard to fathom the humanitarian disaster of the Syrian war. These testimonies—wrenching but also deeply hopeful—help us wrap our minds around it.”— — Fusion
“Heartbreaking and horrifying...As a vital and powerful document of suppressed perspectives, We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled should be required reading for not just all Americans, but everyone.” — The Riveter
“Pearlman’s collection is a chance to remind ourselves of the humanity behind the UNHRC’s ticking number of displaced people and what’s reported in the daily news.” — WBUR
“[This] is a book to be read and reread…[Pearlman] has succeeded in the challenge of offering a humanistic account that does not dissolve Syrians into lofty or abstract rhetoric…their diverse voices remain clearly and unequivocally allied in their arduous struggle.” — Yassin al-Haj Saleh, Syrian dissident, winner of the 2012 Prince Claus Award, and author of several books, including The Impossible Revolution, Syria in the Shadow, and Salvation O Boys: 16 Years in Syrian Prisons
“I was quickly hooked by Pearlman’s simple and often captivating human narratives… the book does well to explain the challenges of the future, not only in ending the war but in healing a traumatized and shell-shocked society.” — The New Yorker
Booklist (starred review)
Pearlman spoke with hundreds of displaced Syrians…. Common among the spare and haunting testimonies of these mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters are the loss and reappearance of hope, humanity, and dreams of new freedom. This powerfully edifying work of witness is essential reading.
Mark Lynch
Profoundly important…Pearlman, an accomplished political scientist, has chosen to let her Syrian interlocutors speak for themselves. What emerges is a complex, engaging and difficult oral history, which deserves a wide readership.
Andreas Krüger
An important book for anyone who wants to understand the root causes of the Syrian tragedy…There are many different competing “realities” of the Syrian conflict and the many voices recorded in this book capture this perfectly.
VICE
A timely and useful exploration into the events leading up to and following the Syrian uprising and ongoing refugee crisis.
Bustle
A gut-wrenching collection of true experiences of Syrians whose lives have been transformed, often torn apart, by the ongoing conflict. A breathtaking yet haunting work of nonfiction, this necessary book could not have come at a better time.
The Guardian
Heart-stopping…Syrians, Pearlman writes, are too often cast as ‘victims to be pitied, bodies to be sheltered, radicals to be denounced or threats to be feared ... it can be difficult to find chances to listen to actual Syrians as human beings’. But she has listened.
Luis Alberto Urrea
Incendiary—this heart-wrenching testament could not be more timely. Beyond headlines or breaking news or political posturing, this work of witness allows real people to expose Syria’s terrifying heart.”
New York Times Book Review
Many of these voices are unforgettable...Pearlman shapes her subjects’ narratives, winnowing interviews down to stirring examples of human adaptation...essential reading.”
WBUR
Pearlman’s collection is a chance to remind ourselves of the humanity behind the UNHRC’s ticking number of displaced people and what’s reported in the daily news.
Chicago Review of Books
A powerful must read book for anyone wanting to understand what’s happening in Syria and why it matters.
Lina Sergie Attar
Pearlman masterfully stitches together a collective journey, stories moving seamlessly from one to the next...The disparate voices, ranging from defiant, funny, mournful, wistful, and tragic, form a complex narrative of the Syrian tragedy—my story, my family’s stories, the stories of the people and lives that we lost.
Omnivoracious
An important work — vivid, moving, and unforgettable.
Elle.com
The West has been repeatedly numbed to the human rights travesty of the authoritarian Assad regime—or worse, encouraged to think of its victims as outsiders—but these accounts fly in the face of that selfish idea.
The New Yorker
I was quickly hooked by Pearlman’s simple and often captivating human narratives… the book does well to explain the challenges of the future, not only in ending the war but in healing a traumatized and shell-shocked society.
Rebellious Magazine
A moving collection of personal accounts from Syrians covering the time before the conflict with Bashar Al-Assad to now.
Larry Siems
To read these pages, to meet these men and women, is to cross a bridge ourselves, and to tremble: at the fragility of social order…but also at the love, anger, terror, trauma, compassion, endurance, awe, and determination a single human voice can convey.
Fusion
A stunning mosaic of narratives told in vignettes of varying lengths. It’s hard to fathom the humanitarian disaster of the Syrian war. These testimonies—wrenching but also deeply hopeful—help us wrap our minds around it.”—
Yassin al-Haj Saleh
[This] is a book to be read and reread…[Pearlman] has succeeded in the challenge of offering a humanistic account that does not dissolve Syrians into lofty or abstract rhetoric…their diverse voices remain clearly and unequivocally allied in their arduous struggle.
The Riveter
Heartbreaking and horrifying...As a vital and powerful document of suppressed perspectives, We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled should be required reading for not just all Americans, but everyone.
The New Yorker
I was quickly hooked by Pearlman’s simple and often captivating human narratives… the book does well to explain the challenges of the future, not only in ending the war but in healing a traumatized and shell-shocked society.
Andreas Kruger
An important book for anyone who wants to understand the root causes of the Syrian tragedy…There are many different competing “realities” of the Syrian conflict and the many voices recorded in this book capture this perfectly.
Booklist
Pearlman spoke with hundreds of displaced Syrians…. Common among the spare and haunting testimonies of these mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters are the loss and reappearance of hope, humanity, and dreams of new freedom. This powerfully edifying work of witness is essential reading.
Library Journal - Audio
02/01/2018
As she did for Palestinians in Occupied Voices, Pearlman (political science, Northwestern Univ.) again gives agency to a population under siege, this time to Syrians. Fluency in Arabic provides Pearlman direct access to hundreds of Syrian men, women, and children of varied social, political, and spiritual backgrounds, those who stayed, and those who fled. Following Pearlman's meticulous introduction rich in contextual history are eight sections tracing the unfolding of the Syrian Revolution through those who witnessed and survived. Erin Bennett, Assaf Cohen, and Susan Nezami take turns voicing Pearlman's subjects; while a multiperson cast should be enhancing, narrators occasionally falter when mismatched to the diversity of the 87 speakers. Cohen, for example, sounds too youthful to articulate older men's experiences convincingly. VERDICT Delivery seems insignificant to the gravity of understanding and acknowledging these searing, remarkable, adamant voices; libraries should consider offering this work in multiple formats to encourage accessibility to all audiences. ["A heartbreaking, human, and necessary book. Recommended for anyone who wishes to better understand the Syrian conflict": LJ 5/1/17 review of the Custom House hc.]—Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC
Library Journal
05/01/2017
Pearlman (Occupied Voices) aims to tell the personal stories of Syrian refugees who are often treated as a monolith in mainstream media. To achieve this goal, she interviewed 85 Syrians who fled the country during the civil war, which began in 2011. The narrative opens with helpful historical context about the conflict and covers broad themes such as the authoritarian rules of former president Hafez al-Assad and his son, current president Bashar al-Assad. Pearlman also provides perspective on the militarization of the conflict, the regime's repression of protestors, life as a refugee, and participants' overall thoughts on the ongoing clashes. Those interviewed do not support the Syrian regime, a necessary limitation as Pearlman could not safely travel to Syria to interview Assad's supporters. Stories range from hopeful during the protests to devastating as the war goes on. Families are separated, killed, and forced out of their homeland. The raw voices of refugees resonate as they describe the terror of living in a war zone. VERDICT A heartbreaking, human, and necessary book. Recommended for anyone who wishes to better understand the Syrian conflict.—Rebekah Kati, Durham, NC
Kirkus Reviews
2017-04-04
Testimonials from Syrians about life before, during, and after the 2011 rebellion.Between 2012 and 2016, Pearlman (Comparative Politics/Northwestern Univ.; Violence, Nonviolence, and the Palestinian National Movement, 2011, etc.) had the unique opportunity to interview hundreds of Syrian refugees. The men and women with whom she spoke included "housewives and rebel fighters, hair-gelled teenagers and businessmen in well-pressed shirts, die-hard activists and ordinary families caught in the crossfire." In this book, she gathers together the stories and organizes them into eight separate sections that reflect "the major phases of the Syrian revolutionary experience." "Authoritarianism" and "Hope Disappointed" highlight the experiences of her interviewees during the pre-rebellion regime. Many speak of the uneasiness they experienced speaking ill of the government, even outside of their country: "even outside Syria you feel that someone is listening, someone is recording." Others openly critique the regime, saying that at its best, Syria was "a country of closed communities held together by force" that only became more corrupt and internally divided over time. In "Revolution," interviewees express the "sadness and happiness and fear and courage" they saw around them as men and women from all the different Syrian communities—Christian, Muslim, and others—protested against tyranny. In "Crackdown," "Militarization," and "Living War," interviewees describe the regime's efforts at "put[ting] sects against each other and turn[ing] everything into a toxic environment," while one speaks frankly of how all the government-sanctioned killing transformed even the most peaceful Muslim citizens into "what we call jihadists and you [Americans] call terrorists." In "Flight," people talk about leaving loved ones behind in seeking asylum in the West. Some tell stories that end in success, others of lives lived "without dignity." Pearlman's book is not only important because it puts names to suffering, but also because it reminds readers—especially in the final segment, "Reflections"—that in the Syrian conflict, "there is no right or wrong," only problematic "shades of gray." A poignant and humane collection.
