A review by 100booksyearly
My Friends by Hisham Matar

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

Three friends, once united in their defiance of Gaddafi’s regime, find themselves on divergent paths as their lives are shaped by the struggle for freedom. Two rise to the forefront of the resistance, while one becomes consumed, unable to stop. The notorious Libyan embassy shooting in London marks a turning point, shaping their fates. Exiled for years, unable to return home after opposing the government that had sponsored their education abroad, one finally makes his way back to Libya to continue the fight. The other, trapped by his own uncertainty, cannot find his way home.

Themes of exile, loyalty, and the cost of revolution run through the story. It explores the sacrifices made for freedom, the burden of resistance, and the haunting question of whether one can ever truly return after losing everything for a cause.