The Stray Cats Of Homs

'This is a searing and incredibly important book, storytelling at its best' Donal Ryan 'A cat has seven souls in Arabic. In English cats have nine lives. You probably have both nine lives and seven souls, because otherwise I don't know how you've made it this far.' Sami's childhood is much like any other - an innocent blend of family and school, of friends and relations and pets (including stray cats and dogs, and the turtle he keeps on the roof). But growing up in one of the largest cities in Syria, with his country at war with itself, means that nothing is really normal. And Sami's hopes for a better future are ripped away when he is conscripted into the military and forced to train as a map maker. Sami may be shielded from the worst horrors of the war, but it will still be impossible to avoid his own nightmare... Inspired by extraordinary true events, The Stray Cats of Homs is the story of a young man who will do anything to keep the dream of home alive, even in the face of unimaginable devastation. Tender, wild and unbearably raw, it is a novel which will stay with you for ever.

Based on a true story — the thoughtful, raw, and ultimately heartening tale of a young man fighting for survival in a city under siege Growing up in Syria in the 1990s, Sami’s childhood was unremarkable. His day-to-day life largely sheltered him from the horrors of the authoritarian government, until he founded a successful internet company—which landed him on the regime’s radar. Suddenly Sami finds himself in jail, then forcibly enlisted into the Syrian army during the early days of a fast-growing civil uprising. Assigned to the mapmaking division, Sami yearns to simply serve his time and go home, even as he finds himself literally charting the course of the army’s response to the growing revolt. The situation that hits him full-force when he receives a text from his girlfriend: “They’re shooting at us.” With that, Sami realizes that it is not enough to endure Assad's regime -- he has to resist. He has to return home, to the city that will become known as the "capital of the revolution." Based on true events as told to journalist Eva Nour, City of Sparrows is the story of coming of age under siege and the power of hope in the face of unfathomable loss.

Amy and Jack find exactly the home they want on Long Island. But once they move in they discover there's something going on with stray cats in the area.

Finally, a book that deals with stray cats; a how-to guide to trapping and dealing with a stray cat. As a pet owner, animal lover and director of a humane organization that deals with stray cats every day, this book gives us one more tool to offer to people who want to help the thousands of strays that wander our streets. Bravo! Joseph J. Sprague, Jr., Executive Director, Tree House Animal Foundation ""Tamara Kreuz cares about the plight of stray and feral cats and gives practical ways to help them. Individuals and shelters can benefit from this book. If those who find stray animals can themselves set about to help by finding homes for domestic strays, or by creating safe havens for feral cats, this will make life a lot easier for shelter personnel, who are all too often overburdened by the number of animals they receive. We highly recommend The Stray Cat Handbook."" Louise Holton and Becky Robinson, Co-founders, Alley Cat Allies: The National Feral Cat Network ""This is a must read for those considering animal rescue work. The information and suggestions provided are first rate and are based on actual experiences."" Linda A. Heller, Division Manager, Orange County Animal Services (Florida) A Howell Cat Book of Distinction

The novel tells the story of a young Syrian doctor whom the Ministry of Health sent from the capital Damascus to the city of Homs as part of his -post graduate education in late 2010. He witnessed how the city and the country went into full-scale civil war in 2011. The conflict between the regime, dominated by the Ba’ath Party under President Bashar El Assad and a fragmented but widely-supported, increasingly Islamist- dominated opposition has devastated the country and caused the deaths of over 150,000 persons, injuries of several hundred thousand and the displacement of almost half of Syria`s 23 million population during the three years of the conflict (2011-2013). Homs city is in central Syria, where one million Syrians used to live. It is the epicentre of this conflict and was the first major city to be contested and divided between the conflicting parties. The novel describes how over three years, the conflict totally changed the city, the hospital and the person himself.