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4.57 AVERAGE
4.57 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Against the loveless world, love-filled solidarity and revolutionary decolonisation must prevail.
Beautifully written, striking a refreshing balance between an engrossing literary fiction and a galvanising voice to Palestinian realities.
Beautifully written, striking a refreshing balance between an engrossing literary fiction and a galvanising voice to Palestinian realities.
"for the ones we love, nothing is ever trouble, and everything is never enough" ❤️ the writing, the stories, the characters.. i cried and cried. this book was beautiful and heartbreaking and I don't have the right words
This book started off strong, but about halfway through I lost interest. The reader’s voice is a bit monotone and the book feels more stream of thought than story. DNF 60%
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Devastating story of strength and resilience that I doubt I’ll be able to get out of my mind any time soon. I can resonate so much with the seemingly complicated (to others) idea of longing for a homeland you had previously never lived in.
It’s easy, while engrossed in reading, to think of this only as a novel, but acknowledging that the horrors within are the realities of so many people… it’s crushing. To know that Nahr was able to find something beautiful among all the cruelty she faced is a blessing for the reader, a little indulgence I’m glad the author caved to for our sakes.
It’s easy, while engrossed in reading, to think of this only as a novel, but acknowledging that the horrors within are the realities of so many people… it’s crushing. To know that Nahr was able to find something beautiful among all the cruelty she faced is a blessing for the reader, a little indulgence I’m glad the author caved to for our sakes.
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I'm giving this book 3.5 stars and I'm rounding up. It is well-written and provides a valuable perspective on the experience of Palestinians as well as refugees and the Middle East in general. This novel was written in 2020, but its relevance is particularly acute right now. This was an epic tale that spanned decades. I enjoyed the second half better than the first half, but appreciate the importance and impact of the first half for what comes later in the novel.
The novel focuses on the life of a woman named Nahr who is strong, loving, and defiant. She faces many challenges but endures them with grit, perseverance, and shrewdness. Abulhawa covers a lot of terrain both figuratively and literally. We have Nahr's experience in prison and those who visited her, her failed marriage that brought feelings of shame and abandonment, exploitive sexual work kept secret to help her family, resistance efforts against Israel as exercises in protection and freedom, generational family dynamics, cultural elements with respect to food, customs, traditions, and community, and examples of sexism and homophobia. Geographically, Nahr spends time in Kuwait, Jordan, and Palestine and feels the impacts of actions from Iraq, Israel, and the United States. The novel also beautifully elevates other themes such as the special bonds between women (whether friends, one's family, or chosen family) and the meaning of home and one's homeland.
The novel is written in a manner that is pro-Palestinian. I do not recall a single detail that casts a positive bent on Israelis. In fact, it was often the opposite, but that also does not seem unusual given the novel is from a Palestinian point of view. There was a brief section where there was an effort toward sympathy or perhaps compassion for Israelis and "what infects them" and their wrongdoing. If the reader is expecting or hoping for a balanced view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this novel does not provide one. Yet, I still found the story and viewpoint worthwhile to witness and understand.
Overall, while this was not necessarily an enjoyable read (due to the sometimes difficult content), it was a powerful one. I really appreciated gaining a snapshot into the lives of those exiled from Palestine or those living in Palestine but under harsh conditions. The novel provided details on everyday living/surviving as well as those challenging their circumstances. I left reading the book humbled by the level of sacrifice endured and respecting Abulhawa as a skilled writer.
The novel focuses on the life of a woman named Nahr who is strong, loving, and defiant. She faces many challenges but endures them with grit, perseverance, and shrewdness. Abulhawa covers a lot of terrain both figuratively and literally. We have Nahr's experience in prison and those who visited her, her failed marriage that brought feelings of shame and abandonment, exploitive sexual work kept secret to help her family, resistance efforts against Israel as exercises in protection and freedom, generational family dynamics, cultural elements with respect to food, customs, traditions, and community, and examples of sexism and homophobia. Geographically, Nahr spends time in Kuwait, Jordan, and Palestine and feels the impacts of actions from Iraq, Israel, and the United States. The novel also beautifully elevates other themes such as the special bonds between women (whether friends, one's family, or chosen family) and the meaning of home and one's homeland.
The novel is written in a manner that is pro-Palestinian. I do not recall a single detail that casts a positive bent on Israelis. In fact, it was often the opposite, but that also does not seem unusual given the novel is from a Palestinian point of view. There was a brief section where there was an effort toward sympathy or perhaps compassion for Israelis and "what infects them" and their wrongdoing. If the reader is expecting or hoping for a balanced view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this novel does not provide one. Yet, I still found the story and viewpoint worthwhile to witness and understand.
Overall, while this was not necessarily an enjoyable read (due to the sometimes difficult content), it was a powerful one. I really appreciated gaining a snapshot into the lives of those exiled from Palestine or those living in Palestine but under harsh conditions. The novel provided details on everyday living/surviving as well as those challenging their circumstances. I left reading the book humbled by the level of sacrifice endured and respecting Abulhawa as a skilled writer.
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
An important book to read these days, a statement which I’ve learned in the past 100+ days, could mean any number of years since 1948. This book, part fact/part fiction broke my heart, and opened it too, to the enduring, tragic, compassionate, and hopeful lives of Palestinians. I thank this author for shining light on the strong family and land ties that a refugee weaves, often because of what they have lost.