In the fragile aftermath of Assad's fall, Ronya Othmann travelled to her father's homeland, Syria – a country he, a stateless Yazidi Kurd, had fled in 1980, and a country she knew from childhood visits to her grandparents. Through conversations with a broad cross-section of people from different backgrounds, she pieces together a mosaic of recent history. The vital result is a travel reportage that weaves religious history and geopolitical insights with personal impressions. «Othmann’s texts (…) are testimonies that record truths, uncertainties, and even moments of speechlessness – texts we urgently need here, in the still safe, and therefore deeply naïve West.» (Die ZEIT)

*The English title is given for reference only. The book has not been published underthis title.