Please - if you have refugees in your community, go to your library or your local bookstore and get the book. I knew at the end of the year that I was planning to compile of list of must reads, but I can't wait. I already bought a copy and mailed it to my son. I don't know how you will respond to this book, but I do know that I want you to read it. And to love my neighbors, many of whom came directly from refugee camps. I don't know what to do with the knowledge I now have other than to pray. I finished this book with these words on my lips, 'Lord have mercy.' Have mercy on them and have mercy on all of us. I think I was most surprised (why I'm still surprised at this point in my life speaks to the rather innocent nature of my little peace loving heart) at how much and how many people benefit from prolonging the instability in Somalia. We see people benefiting off the chaos that comes with fighting and famine. A place that exists only because instead of peace, we see war and corruption. We see the human stories behind those media blips that occasionally come across our internet or cable news sources.īut to me, this is more than just nine stories - it is the story of a place that should not have to exist. We see people living, making do, learning, suffering, finding work in a shadow economy, waiting, arguing, falling in love, and even having some fun. We hear from people whose only memories are from camp life and from more recent arrivals, who fled famine in 2010. We hear directly from men and women, boys and girls. Rawlence tells the story of refugee camp through the lives of nine individuals. I can't stop thinking about the stories that my own students and friends could tell about their experiences with camp life and the events that drove them to flee to what they assumed would provide health and safety. I can't stop thinking about the families who have spent the majority (in some cases ALL) of their lives in a refugee camp.

City of Thorns by Ben Rawlence