Vom Verlust einer Heimat und dem Finden einer neuen: Jad Turjmans Bericht hat Tausende Leser*innen bewegt, nun liegt er erstmals in einem Band vor. Wie viele junge Syrer flieht Jad Turjman 2014 vor der Einberufung in Assads Armee nach Europa, um dem sicheren Tod zu entrinnen. Sein Weg ist gefahrvoll und mühsam, und es wird noch Jahre dauern, bis er die Traumata von Flucht und Folter verarbeiten kann. In Österreich angekommen, findet er ein neues Zuhause, endlich kann er den Jasmin, nach dem er sich seit seiner Flucht aus Damaskus sehnt, neu pflanzen. Doch er reflektiert auch ironisch über die Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten der Kulturen, über die Fettnäpfchen, in die er getreten ist, und über die Rassismen, mit denen er konfrontiert ist.

In "When the Jasmine Puts Down Roots", Jad Turjman explains what happened to him after he successfully fled Syria and made a new home in Austria. He reflects on the differences and commonalities between the two cultures, the linguistic gaffes that Syrians learning German can make, and the racism that has sometimes confronted him. Of course, Austrians and their quirks also come under the microscope, and his outsider’s viewpoint is often highly illuminating. Turjman explores how a person can process traumatic events and describes his personal experience of therapy. The follow-up to his bestselling "When the Jasmine Leaves" is multi-layered, humorous and profound.

There is a longing. A longing for a certain sensation, for a home town called Damascus, for the smell of jasmine. Jad Turjman is a young Syrian who enjoys his life to the full until war breaks out. When his call-up order arrives, he is quick to decide: fleeing to Europe is his only option if he wants to escape certain death. His chosen path is risky and arduous, but he encounters five "guardian angels" along the way. Eventually Turjman arrives in a place that he did not seek, where he is able to plant his jasmine again. Jad Turjman describes his escape with unparalleled intensity and sharp humour, subjecting the reader to a roller-coaster of emotions. Breathtaking.