A Hand Full of Stars - Softcover

?Amid the turmoil of modern Damascus, one teenage boy finds his political voice in a message of rebellion that echoes throughout Syria and as far away as Western Europe. Inspired by his dearest friend, old Uncle Salim, he begins a journal to record his thoughts and impressions of family, friends, life at school, and his growing feelings for his girlfriend, Nadia. Soon the hidden diary becomes more than just a way to remember his daily adventures; on its pages he explores his frustration with the government injustices he witnesses. His courage and ingenuity finally find an outlet when he and his friends begin a subversive underground newspaper. Warmed by a fine sense of humor, this novel is at once a moving love story and a passionate testimony to the difficult and committed actions being taken by young people around the world.

Rafik Schami was born in Damascus in 1946, came to Germany in 1971 and studied chemistry in Heidelberg. Today he is the most successful German-speaking Arabic writer. His novels have been translated into 21 languages and received numerous international awards, including the Hermann Hesse Prize (1994) and the Hans Erich Nossak Prize (1997), the Mildred L. Batchelder Award (USA, 1991), the Smelik-Kiggen Prize (Netherlands, 1989), and the Prix de Lecture (France, 1996). His numerous works in German include novels, plays, stories, essays and children s books. His bestselling novels The Dark Side of Love and The Calligrapher s Secret received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly.