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Where the Sun Rises - an emotional and compelling war novel: A story of feminine courage and friendship Kindle Edition
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$0.00 Read with Kindle Unlimited to also enjoy access to over 3 million more titles $2.99 to buy - Paperback
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"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!
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateOctober 9, 2019
- Reading age14 - 18 years
- File size834 KB
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Editorial Reviews
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
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
About the Author
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 addition, Suzanne has 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.
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)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

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.
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Top reviews from the United States
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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.
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.
Lisa David, Esq.
Top reviews from other countries

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.


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.

