‘Åsne Seierstad is the supreme non-fiction writer of her generation … Two Sisters isn’t only the story of how a pair of teenage girls became radicalised but an unsparing portrait of our own society – of its failings and its joys’ Luke Harding
On 17 October 2013, teenage sisters Ayan and Leila Juma left their family home near Oslo, seemingly as usual. Later that day they sent an email to their unsuspecting parents, confessing they were on their way to Syria. They had been planning the trip for months in secret.
Åsne Seierstad – working closely with the family – followed the story through its many dramatic twists and turns. This is, in part, a story about Syria. But most of all it is a story of what happens to apparently ordinary people when their lives are turned upside down by conflict and tragedy.
‘A masterpiece and a masterclass in investigative journalism’ Christina Lamb, Sunday Times
‘Meticulously documented, full of drama … this is a tale fluently told, and a thriller as well’ Kate Adie, Literary Review
‘A masterwork. Brilliantly conceived, scrupulously reported and beautifully written, this book is compulsive reading’ Jon Lee Anderson
On 17 October 2013, teenage sisters Ayan and Leila Juma left their family home near Oslo, seemingly as usual. Later that day they sent an email to their unsuspecting parents, confessing they were on their way to Syria. They had been planning the trip for months in secret.
Åsne Seierstad – working closely with the family – followed the story through its many dramatic twists and turns. This is, in part, a story about Syria. But most of all it is a story of what happens to apparently ordinary people when their lives are turned upside down by conflict and tragedy.
‘A masterpiece and a masterclass in investigative journalism’ Christina Lamb, Sunday Times
‘Meticulously documented, full of drama … this is a tale fluently told, and a thriller as well’ Kate Adie, Literary Review
‘A masterwork. Brilliantly conceived, scrupulously reported and beautifully written, this book is compulsive reading’ Jon Lee Anderson
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Reviews
Meticulously documented, full of drama ... filled with smuggling, violence, ever-changing loyalties and tension ... this is a tale fluently told, and a thriller as well
Two Sisters is a masterwork. Brilliantly conceived, scrupulously reported and beautifully written, this book is compulsive reading ... Seierstad fixes her lens on one of the most disturbing conundrums of our time - what leads ordinary people to become terrorists?
A modern tragedy. And a universal one ... None of us truly knows what teenagers think, behind their closed doors, nor what tomorrow will bring
Åsne Seierstad is the supreme non-fiction writer of her generation. Her latest work is haunting, luminously written and compelling. A brilliant book. Two Sisters isn't only the story of how a pair of teenage girls became radicalised but an unsparing portrait of our own society - of its failings and its joys
Simply magnificent ... One of the most important books of our time
Hauntingly written, this book is both a masterpiece and a masterclass in investigative journalism
Intricate, compelling