Defiance by Loubna Mrie
Defiance: A Memoir of Awakening, Rebellion, and Survival in Syria is a new (published Feb 24 2026) memoir about an activist and photojournalist living through the horrors of the Syrian civil war.
The book has three main sections: Mrie’s experiences growing up in a wealthy family and part of the elite minority Alawite Muslim sect; her initial forays into activism and political awakening as a teenager; and her experiences with journalism, witnessing the most devastating parts of the Syrian civil war, and witnessing the rise of ISIS. Any one of those sections would make an interesting book in and of themselves. Combined, they create a really nuanced portrait of modern Syria and what it means to envision a different world.
A lot of Defiance deals with themes of domination and control: how desire for power on a national stage also leads to abuse of power in interpersonal relationships. There are many people and organizations in Syria that start out as heroes and become increasingly corrupted by power. Mrie does not let herself off the hook for the ways that she attempts to take control in unhealthy ways, she is very honest about her own flaws and fears.
This book is also a nail-biter in several parts, in Mrie’s extremely tense journeys in and out of safety and her descriptions of the war. It is simply written, in a journalistic style, but also quite poetic at times: her descriptions of her own grief were absolutely heart-wrenching.
The publisher has clearly throwing some money at this project, with blurbs from big names like Jeannette Walls and Javier Zamora. I suspect we will be hearing more about this book and potential awards as 2026 progresses. So, you heard it here first: it truly is excellent.