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The true story of how a besieged Syrian town found hope

What does it take to protect a culture’s library treasures from the destruction of war? Over the centuries, heroes have stepped up and quietly protected and saved valuable records of the past for future generations. In 2011, a team of extraordinary people did just this when the city of Daraya, on the fringe of the Syrian capital Damascus, was besieged by warring government forces. Its streets were filled with ruined homes, office buildings and shops, but beneath was a secret library of works of poetry, history, fiction and religion. Each one was gathered and stored by people willing to risk their lives to save the city’s books. This library became a symbol of hope that one day their society would be rebuilt.