Mid-twentieth century Damascus, Syria, is the locale of an autobiographical novel detailing four years of a youth's growth to adulthood. When told by his greatly admired "Uncle" Schami "... I have experienced so much that was important ... If I had learned to write, I would have the power to preserve the mountains, fields, and valleys, and every thorn on the stem of a rose ...", the high-spirited 14-year-old narrator secures a journal, thinking of his writing as a personal rearview mirror. His secret journal entries prove him to be forward-looking, too, and they mature throughout the book, just as he does. He experiences the boredom of labor, and he becomes involved in a romantic relationship; he observes the impacts of political oppression and censorship. After witnessing his journalistic mentor's efforts, he assumes a leadership role in putting out a subversive underground newspaper. Several types of courage are exhibited within writing rich in characterization, full of dialogue and memorable in setting. Specifics about the hot, dusty region in which the story takes place and details about the culture of poverty where an education cannot be taken for granted interlace an impressive, award-winning book first published in Germany and subsequently translated into more than ten languages. (Age 12 and older)