Homes
CBC Books | | Posted: January 31, 2019 1:00 PM | Last Updated: August 15, 2019
Abu Bakr al Rabeeah & Winnie Yeung
In 2010, the al Rabeeah family left their home in Iraq in hope of a safer life. They moved to Homs, in Syria — just before the Syrian civil war broke out.
Abu Bakr, one of eight children, was 10 years old when the violence began on the streets around him: car bombings, attacks on his mosque and school, firebombs late at night. Homes tells of the strange juxtapositions of growing up in a war zone: horrific, unimaginable events punctuated by normalcy — soccer, cousins, video games, friends.
Homes is the remarkable true story of how a young boy emerged from a war zone — and found safety in Canada — with a passion for sharing his story and telling the world what is truly happening in Syria. As told to her by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah, writer Winnie Yeung has crafted a heartbreaking, hopeful and urgently necessary book that provides a window into understanding Syria. (From Freehand Books)
Watch the book trailer
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Collaborating on Homes
Abu Bakr al Rabeeah: "[Sharing my stories] was a great experience. Nothing was really hard for me. It wasn't like reliving hard times or hard memories. It was just telling about my past. I was so proud of it. By telling stories to Ms. Yeung, I learned a lot of stuff that happened to me that I didn't realize. For example, not being able to go out for soccer or with friends — that taught me how to be a patient person. Not having things I wanted because of the circumstances, that taught me to enjoy the small things I had."
The book isn't just about the war. The book is about family. - co-author Winnie Yeung
Winnie Yeung: "The book isn't just about the war. The book is about family. What I was so inspired by is how this family held together, their resiliency. That's what I wanted to highlight was love and this sense of togetherness that I was so touched by."
Abu Bakr al Rabeeah: "I hope readers [walk away] knowing how similar we are, how we have the same things, even though we are from countries far apart. When I first came to school [in Canada], some of my friends asked me, 'Do you guys have chairs back in Syria? Do you have schools?' These kinds of question led me to telling my story. The other thing [I hope people learn from the book] is that, yes we went through a lot of bad stuff, a lot of problems. But we still had a good life there. There are still people who are happy living in Syria."
From the book
Every Friday on the way home from the noon prayer service, Salat al Jum'ah, Father stopped to buy fresh fruit from the street vendors. Our mosque was barely a block from our apartment and the walk home was always a loud, lively time, with neighbours and friends catching up at the end of the week. On the day of Father's birthday, April 18, he bought fruit for the family as usual but rather than lingering to chat, he hurried home. All morning, the fighter jets had screamed by. In the weeks before, every mosque in our neighbourhood, Akrama, had been attacked. Father texted me to go straight home after the service.
From Homes by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah and Winnie Yeung ©2018. Published by Freehand Books.
Interviews with Abu Bakr al Rabeeah & Winnie Yeung
Why Chuck Comeau chose Homes for Canada Reads
"Imagine a childhood filled with bombs, attacks, bullets and dead bodies. That is the life that 10-year-old Abu Bakr lived in Syria, until he escaped to Canada. In this scary moment in our collective history, where fear and hatred have become normalised, Homes is essential reading.
In this scary moment in our collective history, where fear and hatred have become normalised, Homes is essential reading. - Chuck Comeau
"This incredible memoir will make you more compassionate and profoundly grateful that you and your children don't have to fall asleep to the sound of machine guns at night. And it will make you very proud to be from there — this incredible country that brought Bakr here, ans his family, with open arms."
Chuck Comeau on Homes
About Chuck Comeau
Chuck Comeau and his bandmates formed Simple Plan in 1999. The band has sold over 15 million albums and performed in more than 70 countries around the world. Early on, they started the Simple Plan Foundation, which raises money for charitable causes devoted to helping young people in need — from suicide prevention, to poverty, mental health awareness, musical education and drug addiction.
The Canada Reads 2019 contenders
- Chuck Comeau, defending Homes by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah and Winnie Yeung
- Lisa Ray, defending Brother by David Chariandy
- Ziya Tong, defending By Chance Alone by Max Eisen
- Yanic Truesdale, defending Suzanne by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette, translated by Rhonda Mullins
- Joe Zee, defending The Woo-Woo by Lindsay Wong