Mourning Sham

By Kati Woronka

Maha and Leila have been friends for years, but they have not seen each other since they studied together at University of Damascus five years ago. As the war in Syria encroaches on their lives, and the lives of their families, they find solace in rekindling friendships from happier times. Together, they care for their own families while looking for ways to do more, sending food and clothing to families in Damascus who have lost their homes, then developing a global advocacy campaign for non-combatants who have been captured.

Mourning Sham is a tale of hope and renewed friendship in a context of war, conflict and drastic social change. It explores the role of women in political revolution and the growing role of technology in organizing and activism. Women around the world struggle to balance their duty to family and self, with their aspirations to serve their communities. Maha and Leila do the same, but in a context where the stakes are particularly high.  

Get It Now

Dreams in the Medina

By Kati Woronka

From the heart of Syria, Dreams in the Medina is a coming-of-age tale which explores the aspirations, passions and tragedies of a group of young Syrian women, who on the surface seem to have nothing in common but who are brought together in the deepest of bonds as they study and live together at the University of Damascus.

School, sisters, cooking, cleaning… these were the most exciting activities of Leila’s childhood in a village in Dera’a, in southern Syria. She grew up expecting that her parents would eventually choose a nice local boy for her to marry, which would define the rest of her life. When Leila was accepted to study English Literature at the University of Damascus, everything changed. A whole new world opened to her through the literature she was reading, and then she started making new friends. Roxy, a fiery young woman who had married a wealthy man without telling her family. Huda, who was ready to sacrifice absolutely everything for her career. Maha, who seemed to have it all. And Ahmed, who swept Leila off her feet. As her world expanded, Leila began to believe that she, too, might write her own destiny......

Kati Woronka is an academic and world traveler. She first moved to Syria in 2001 and quickly fell in love. While Syria may be her first love, she has traveled extensively around the world doing what she likes to call CulturTwining - interacting with people of different cultures - and discovering great stories. She has lived in Kosovo, Egypt, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Timor Leste, USA and Brazil.

Get it here: Smashwords - Kobo - Amazon