The roots of Rafik Schami’s latest novel lie in events in his own life. In 2010, having lived in exile in Germany for decades, this Syrian-born author received an unexpected invitation from the Damascus regime to return home. His agonizing over this duplicitous offer led him to write Sophia, a vast, sweeping family saga of great ambition and humanity.
Spanning the mid-20th century and the first decade of the 21st, the novel tackles head on the themes of fidelity and salvation. In the 1950s Karim is sent by his family from Homs to Damascus, tasked with the ‘honour killing’ of his sister for the ‘crime’ of marrying outside her faith. Karim instead warns his sister to flee but she is killed and he is framed for her murder. He is saved from prison by Sophia, a well-connected Christian woman who was Karim’s first love, and he vows he will some day repay the debt. Many years later, Sophia’s son Salman returns to Syria after 40 years of exile in Italy on the promise of amnesty. He is betrayed and forced to go on the run in Damascus. In desperation, Sophia calls for Karim to honour his debt and save her son from arrest and execution.
