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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was interesting because the first part takes place during a coup in Sudan. I know very little about Sudanese history and I enjoyed learning a little bit. However, it was hard for me to relate to the main character. Perhaps that is because she is very religious and I am not, but I suspect that another author would have been able to help the reader understand and relate to the character despite differences. Overall, the book is ok. Worth a read but not my favorite.
This book told a little-recorded story with the authenticity that comes from experience and made me think.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had high hopes for this book and every subsequent page was an exercise in disappointment. I could not connect with Najwa knowing that her thoughts and actions were framed as the voice of the narrative and not intentional character choices; it was when she expressed the sentiment of "We only faced tragedy because we didn't pray hard enough" that the alarm bells went off. There is CRUCIAL room in the world for a story about the power of Muslim faith, but it can be done without the constant self-righteous contempt for women (mostly women, though Omar's addiction is treated with very little compassion as well) who have lost touch with faith or otherwise have more complicated relationships with it than Tamer/Najwa do. There is more than one Correct way to be a diaspora Muslim but this book wasn't written to earnestly speak to diaspora Muslims; it was written for Westerners whose starting point knowledge of Islam is propaganda or uncritical demonization. Still a valid perspective, but the completely nuance-less way it's written cheapens it as a story for me.
Mooi verhaal over spirituele groei van een moslima, de worstelingen van migranten en verhoudingen tussen mannen en vrouwen. Wel wat veel onderontwikkelde verhaallijnen en subplots, maar zeker de moeite waard door de boeiende inkijk in een cultuur en spiritualiteit waar naar verhouding weinig over gedrukt is, zeker vanuit vrouwelijk perspectief.
Probably one of the worst books I have ever read.
This clear distinction between piety and a colorful past of a Muslim woman is just too black and white to be called literature and is obviously written with a particular type of audience.
SO NOT COOL.
This clear distinction between piety and a colorful past of a Muslim woman is just too black and white to be called literature and is obviously written with a particular type of audience.
SO NOT COOL.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes