Putting a Human Face on Syria’s Tragedy

Angela Merkel made “one very catastrophic mistake”—at least according to Donald Trump. Earlier this month, in an interview with The Times of London, Trump lambasted the German chancellor for admitting roughly a million refugees into her country—more than any other nation. While others praised Merkel’s move as humane and compassionate, the New York real estate mogul said she created a potential security disaster.

Trump’s statement was galling, particularly because the war in Syria continues to rage and many Syrians remain imperiled. Those inside the country are desperate to escape, while many of those who have already crossed the border face a difficult future. In her new book,, Melissa Fleming tells the story of one of those people, Doaa al-Zamel, a resilient young woman who is destined to become the Malala Yousafzai of Syria. Her story has the closest thing to a happy ending you can find in this bloody civil war.