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Where the Sun Rises - an emotional and compelling war novel: A story of feminine courage and friendship by [Suzanne Strong]

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Suzanne Strong

Where the Sun Rises - an emotional and compelling war novel: A story of feminine courage and friendship Kindle Edition

by Suzanne Strong (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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For most, the war with ISIS plays out on a faceless global stage. For these two best friends, it’s personal…
"This novel is much more than a story about war. Though the war against Isis provides the motivation of the action; this is an intimate tale of two best friends who yearn for peace and equality and are prepared to sacrifice all they have to achieve it." Heather Preston, Goodreads. Kurdish Syria, 2014. Karin longs to fight for her freedom. Except she’s forced to stay home while her brother heads into battle and ISIS advances. But when death and destruction arrive at the city gates, Karin shoulders her rifle and prepares to engage.

Roza aches for the peaceful life of a wife and mother. But when she loses her husband in mortar fire, her grief drives her into the female militia to defend her family. Her rage only grows when she discovers her friend's sister has been captured by ISIS. Fighting side-by-side with their fellow sisters, Karin and Roza launch a daring and potentially lethal rescue mission. But the horrors they encounter will test their commitment to the cause, and may demand sacrifices no friend should have to bear…

Will the determined guerrillas put their lives on the line and win the battle for their families and homeland? Where the Sun Rises is a touching story of feminine courage and friendship, based on real events. If you like strong women, compassionate relationships, and untold stories of heroism, then you’ll love Suzanne Strong’s powerful novel. Buy Where the Sun Rises to open your eyes to the truth today!

Print length

286 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publication date

October 9, 2019
Reading age

14 - 18 years
File size

834 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Where the Sun Rises is a novel told from alternating viewpoints of two childhood friends: Karin and Roza...It's a heart wrenching story of two women who give up everything to protect their families and the land that they love...Both women face heartbreaking losses and choose to fight for the YPJ out of fierce love for their families...This novel traces the journey two highly educated young women take to become tough, skillful militia fighters...Karin and Roza's courage will catch you and make you wonder at their ability to persevere. They are ordinary women who respond to extraordinary circumstances. I cried throughout this story, and what I took from the ending was that we all have the ability to fight for what we love when the situation demands it, though the cost we pay is very high." - Manhattan Book Review
"Where the Sun Rises is an ambitious,compassionate and powerful novel. Sensory memories accessed through scents and tastes are used brilliantly to evoke the physical strain, tenderness andrevulsion of war for female soldiers in the fight against ISIS. Their story deserves a far wider readership and Strong's achievement lies in her ability to take usinto their dangerous world." - Dr. Toby Davidson, Lecturer, Macquarie University, Sydney.
"Powerful and credible. An eye-opener to a story werarely hear." Dr. Lynne Spender, UTS Lecturer, Sydney.
"A wonderfully unique read, highlighting the horrors of war while exploring the relationships between women determined to fight and protect their region. At times harrowing and heart-wrenching but also filled with hope. Well worth a read." Goodreads Reviewer Dawn Brookes.
"The beauty of this novel is in its rich exploration of the characters of Roza and Karin. Their story is told with compassion, feminine understanding and gentle humour. Suzanne Strong's skill and thorough research takes you deep into the lives and struggles of these Kurdish women in a memorable, compelling and emotionally touching read." Heather Preston.

From the Author

...In 2015 after watching a lot of documentaries on the women fighting Daesh in Syria - I thought to myself, what if we could see this war through their eyes? I was in awe of their courage and the choices they had to make and how courageous they were in standing up to this enemy. I wanted to write a tale of devotion to your friends and family, but also about the sheer courage of these real women. I had a central plot from the beginning, and two main characters in my mind.
There is a dearth of books about war written a female perspective, depicting their comradery and personal experience, their heroism and courage. So I wanted to do this in honour of these women I had researched. I must stress that my two main characters are fictional, but the facts around the women's lives are real.
Over three years, I undertook more than 2000 hours of research. This included watching documentaries, reading articles, information, learning Kurdish language, cultural customs, food, and contacting the female militia groups, Kurdish organisations and individuals who had fought in thewar. All of the Kurdish people I contacted were very excited and supportive of Where the Sun Rises. I travelled to the middle east and looked from the Golan Heights into Syria, seeing the devastation for myself. I also wanted to experience the atmosphere, culture, history, tastes, light, sound and sensory elements of this area.
This is how Where the Sun Rises was conceived and birthed. Thanks for reading. Kind regards, Suzanne

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07V3GR6FX
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Green Acre Publishing (October 9, 2019)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 9, 2019
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 834 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 286 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,649,151 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #203 in Middle Eastern Literature (Kindle Store)
- #562 in Australian & Oceanian Literature
- #582 in Middle Eastern Literature (Books)

Customer Reviews:
41 ratings

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Suzanne Strong

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Suzanne is a qualified journalist with more than 20 years’ experience. She has written for many publications during this time, including: AMG Magazine, The New Internationalist, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Big Issue and The Review Independent Monthly, amongst many others. In addition, Suzanne worked in media communications and taught Journalism/Writing at QUT and Academic English at UQ College in Brisbane. Suzanne has a Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing from QUT and a Master of Arts, Creative Writing from Macquarie University.

Suzanne’s short stories and poetry have been published in Compassion: A Creative Anthology, The Quarry Journal, Grapeshot Magazine, Studio Magazine, Time Off and Heretical magazines.

In 2006, Suzanne’s short story The Wall came 6th out of 300 entries in the Amazon Shorts, Short Story competition and in 2011, she received an award from the SCLA for her poem, Breathe.

In 2017, Suzanne published Freedom Writing compiling her research, personal (and others') experiences with writing therapy, as well as practical exercises from her workshops to show people its power. Her latest book, Where the Sun Rises took four years to write and included more than 2000 hours of research as well as travelling to the middle east to experience the region.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

41 global ratings

5 star		74%
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3 star		8%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star		8%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Malve von Hassell

A vivid account of the ‘lionesses’ fighting for Kurdish autonomy

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 28, 2020

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Kurdish women have played a central role in Kurdish society and politics despite the fact that they live in a male-dominated world still plagued by profound challenges with regard to women’s rights, forced marriages, honor killings, and even in some areas female genital mutilation. Nonetheless Kurdish women have served as chiefs of tribes and rulers, in some instances described as ‘lionesses,’ for their bravery and determination. Meanwhile, in the last decades in particular, Kurdish women in Iraq and Syria have served as outstanding, courageous, and relentless fighters in the struggle against Isis. When the Sun Rises offers a stirring fictionalized account of the struggles faced by these remarkable women, true lionesses.

The story begins in Kobane, situated at the border between Turkey and Syria, in 2014, when the city was under siege by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as Daesh.

The protagonist is Karin, a medical student at university who together with her best friend Roza decides to join the fight against Daesh in the desire to defend their home and their families. Both Karin and Roza experience heartbreaking losses which push them toward making the difficult decision to join up despite the sacrifice of having to leave their families and, in Roza’s case, even a child behind. The two women try to stay together throughout their training in the Women's Protection Unit (YPJ) and in battle. They also form strong bonds with other women in their unit as well as a few men with whom they interact.

The writing is vivid and believable with colorful descriptions of family life in Kobani and the sounds and scents of Kurdish life which makes the destruction wreaked by the war even more devastating. The author provides compelling insights into the various complex emotions experienced by these women who reach their decisions to join up for a range of reasons, but are united in friendship and affection until the end.

The book ends on a positive note, with a glimpse of a recovering city and the sense of life resuming.

As a bitter coda to this moving account which was released in October 2019, just at that time, the Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria led to the Second Northern Syria Buffer Zone Agreement and forced Kurdish military forces to withdraw from Kobane while the city was placed under the control of the Syrian army and the Russian military police. My heart goes out to the fictional Karin and all her sisters who have been fighting so valiantly for autonomy.

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

An immersive experience in this captivating tale of friendship

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 17, 2020

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From the first paragraph of Where The Sun Rises the reader is drawn into the world of Karin, a young Kurdish medical student forced through circumstances and her own belief in justice to join the war against Daesh/ISIS. We also meet Roza, a teacher and young mother, representing a more passive demographic. How will each react to the horrors of war?

The very human side of armed conflict, as depicted, begs us as readers to consider how we would react under similar conditions. Would we be among those who choose to flee across the border, to what might be safety? Would we defiantly stay in our homes despite the odds? Or would we act by taking up arms and getting involved in beating back the aggressors?

Suzanne Strong's meticulous research pays off, as she seamlessly presents a credible, realistic, immersive experience forming a colourful background to this captivating tale of friendship. Through her richly textured descriptions, we experience the day-to-day circumstances of those living through war.

It is only through their darkest days and their camaraderie (with each other and their sisters-in-arms) that the young women get to know themselves and what they are capable of, but the real power of this book lies in how it affects the reader. The questions it raises and the gratitude for being spared the choices demanded by war, will continue to haunt this reader.

It is our agency and integrity that will carry us through dark times and the young heroines of Where The Sun Rises stand tall in testament. It is an anthem for female camaraderie and friendship, while recognising their love and respect for the men in their lives. The author manages to breathe life into and foster empathy even for minor characters, both male and female.

A surprisingly uplifting read, despite its serious setting, I recommend Where The Sun Rises as a must-read for anyone paying attention to the raging conflicts of our era and concerned about where we are heading in reaction.

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Lisa David

Remarkable book that provides Invaluable insights into this sad and brutal war.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 25, 2019

Verified Purchase

Every day when I watch the news, I see images of the war-torn struggles of Kurdish people as a collective group. What Suzanne Strong’s powerful book Where the Sun Rises has managed to do is remarkable: she helped me get to know, care for and identify with those involved with the war on a more personal level. The main characters are women I would like to befriend and could not stop thinking about even after I finished reading the book. Through Ms. Strong’s detailed writing, the reader vividly experiences the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of those regions. We learn about the political and religious conflicts that motivate an amazing group of women and the horrendous obstacles they must fight just to get bare human necessities: food, shelter, love and freedom. This novel is crucial reading for our modern world since the fighting in these regions continues. The compassionate insights apply not only to the sad and brutal stories of these Kurdish regions and their people but extends to basically all war ravished communities throughout history. Where the Sun Rises is a classic worth reading in the canons of other great works depicting the horrors of war as well as strength of the human spirit, such as Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front and Bao Ninh’s The Sorrow of War.

Lisa David, Esq.

One person found this helpful

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A. Christensen

An eyeopening and captivating story

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 25, 2020

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I love books by authors who are 100% invested in their subject and who can wrap a story around a subject that makes it interesting and relevant to us all. Suzanne is such an author. The Kurdish people's much overlooked struggle in the media and the conflict in Syria in general becomes relevant through the characters, Karin and Roza. This is an eye opening and captivating story. Furthermore, it is well written and well documented. A book that deserves to fly of the shelves.

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Top reviews from other countries

Genuinebloke

Would have benefitted from more stringent editing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 27, 2021

Verified Purchase

I bought this for my partner as the content seemed to match the stories she likes to read. By the third page she simply asked me to take a look and see what I thought. I rapidly reached her unspoken conclusion that the style of writing was "off" and the book could have done with a more stringent editorial process.

It's hard to express precisely but the conversational style just felt very basic and immediately jarring. I thought it might be used for effect in the opening pages so I flicked further ahead and saw that it persisted. I returned the book for a refund - something that I have never previously done unless a book was damaged. The questionable quality of this book was exacerbated by the fact that it is relatively expensive for a paperback.

One person found this helpful

technobossbluecat

A disappointment

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 10, 2021

Verified Purchase

I couldn’t get to grips with this story or with the characters. I agree with another reviewer who commented that the book definitely needed closer editing . In my opinion the conversations between characters are very underdeveloped and lacking in emotion and drama considering the setting and topic. I’m about 70% through and have kept putting the book down as I find the dialogue so frustrating.

Kindle Customer

Great Read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 24, 2020

Verified Purchase

Suzanne Strong has written a very powerful book that will tug at your heart.
This is a story about the brave women who fought against the Daesh to save their town. An Eye-opener and a tearjerker to the way they sacrificed themselves for their comrades.
This is a book that you won't want to put down until you finish it.

One person found this helpful

Dab Reader

Unique & gritty

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 2, 2020

Verified Purchase

A wonderfully unique read, highlighting the horrors of war while exploring the relationships between women determined to fight and protect their region. At times harrowing and heart-wrenching but also filled with hope. Well worth a read.

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