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kjofalltrades's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Rape, Sexual content, Abortion, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Confinement
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Genocide, Medical content, Torture, Infertility, Deportation, War, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Infidelity, Cancer, Body shaming, Vomit, and Animal death
schlady's review
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Confinement, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Murder, Sexism, Colonisation, Sexual content, Torture, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Grief, Deportation, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, War, Trafficking, and Violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Car accident, Drug use, Vomit, Infertility, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Animal death
clarereadstheworld's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
From her isolation cell in an Israeli jail, Nahr tells us her story; from her brief first marriage, through the traumas of war, displacement and sexual exploitation, to the discovery of her homeland, and finally finding a place she felt she could belong. If only there could have been a happy ending.
Like many privileged people living in the west, I knew relatively little of the suffering of the Palestinian people until the violence which erupted around Gaza last summer. If I was shocked by what I learnt last May, it was nothing compared to what I felt reading this book. To say I was heartbroken for the loving innocent Nahr, and the life she wasn't allowed to live is such an understatement. Yet I was also in awe of her strength and resilience, as she was able to pick herself up and reconstruct her life again and again. Despite all the trauma she lived through, the simple fact that she was able to keep going, and find hope again was beautiful.
I loved all the main characters in this book, from Sitti Wasfiyeh the grouchy, seemingly ungrateful grandmother who actually has a heart of gold, to the Jumana who despite a false start turns out to be a true friend. Abulhawa creates such moving characters, with real complexity and depth.
Although the Israeli occupation of the West Bank is very much the core of this novel, so much else is explored in these pages. I found Nahr's attempts at finding love again after trauma, Bilal's gentle patience particularly moving. The ambiguous Um Buraq who both ruined and saved Nahr's life was a character I started off hating, but grew to love despite myself. She stood for women's freedom to do what they want with their bodies, even if that is have sex for money.
Graphic: Hate crime, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, War, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Gun violence