Just One - by Nour Akhras (Paperback)

About the Book

Dr. Nour Akhras provides humanitarian aid in war-torn countries worldwide. Just One encourages everyone to open their minds and hearts to refugees.

Book Synopsis

Dr. Nour Akhras is a pediatric infectious diseases physician, one of only 1,500 in the United States. Just One: A Journey of Perseverance and Conviction chronicles the life of this Syrian American doctor, honestly portraying her struggles as an American Muslim in an Islamophobic climate and as a mother providing humanitarian aid in war-torn countries around the globe. Throughout her journey, she takes inspiration from the extraordinary courage of young and old refugees forced to abandon their homes yet determined to survive and rebuild their lives. Each story is different, and every loss is personal. Between heartbreaking realities and moments of resilience, she implores readers to respect the dignity of every human life.

Review Quotes

"An exquisitely moving journey featuring compassionate medical intervention in refugee camps." - Kirkus Reviews

"Just One masterfully blends the painful and the humorous with the personal and the political - Dr. Akhras takes us inside what it is like to be Muslim and a doctor in a post-9/11 world. We feel her humiliation as she fends off baseless questions from Customs agents and the FBI, starting when she was just 26 and a 'nerdy, skinny, extremely shy pediatric resident.' The book is a portrait of a woman who has somehow balanced family, medicine, altruism, religion, and discrimination as she goes above and beyond to treat children suffering from the fallout of war around the world. Her extreme empathy comes across as she struggles to decide whether to fly into war zones to treat patients - while leaving behind her own children. I, for one, am blown away by what Dr. Akhras is willing to do to help her fellow humans. What makes this book so compelling is the author's intricate storytelling, which is balanced with an eye for the absurd and, first and foremost, a thread of great compassion that is woven throughout."

- Lauren Wolfe, Journalist

"The writing was flawless, and the story was airtight, focused, and very emotional. This is one of the most humane and honest stories I've read so far.

It is also a beautiful inside story of a Muslim American's life, her struggles as a Muslim in an Islamophobic climate, as a mom who is providing humanitarian aid in war-torn countries, and also the human story of what an average Muslim American's life is like making contributions in her medical profession and in modern science."

- Warda Nawaz, Freelance Medical Writer and Editor

"The story starts with a monologue of the writer reminiscing about how her 2017 medical mission to Yemen came to fruition with one text message. That opening sentence, 'Perhaps, we could cross the Red Sea by boat to make it to Yemen...' is what pulls you through and compels you to keep reading. The book introduces you to an excitement that remains constant till the end. You want to know more, you want to know what's next, and you keep wondering, why 'Just One'? ...until you reach the last chapter, and it all makes sense.

Dr. Nour possesses a brilliant way of writing and engaging the readers. Another thing that draws you into the book is how you can feel her courage as well as vulnerability, which helps to connect on a personal level.

Her storytelling prowess is evident in her simple conversational tone and the clarity with which she introduces the different chapters of her life, her missions in various countries around the world, and the stories of people she met throughout the journey. You, as a reader, embark on the same journey as if you were also there.

Fantastically engaging and superbly enticing!"

- Humayera Kabir Hana, Clinical Pharmacist and Editor