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4.57 AVERAGE
4.57 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
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:
Complicated
Just finished reading this book for the second time and I still lack the words to describe it. This book grabs your heart and pulls you right in. This is definitely one of my top 3 favourite books, I strongly suggest anyone read it.
With everything going on the world right now, People need to read this book!!!
This hits you like a tracer bullet— a brilliant depiction of the ups and downs, sheer grit, triumphs, and the raw deal of life itself!! It throws a spotlight on the Palestinian fight for freedom and gives you a hard look at the real score on political prisoners and the harsh realities of incarceration.
The writing is fantastic, with each part we explore a new part of the lead character's cell, and her journey with all characters in flashbacks. Absolutely loved the complex characters, mother, daughter, granddaughter, siblings, friendships and relationships navigated in a complex environment.
I was particularly hooked with the way we started off the book.
Chapter 1 starts off with a singular focus, akin to a spotlight honed in on one lone object, demanding our undivided attention. Yet, as the narrative unfolds, this beam of light begins to ascend and broaden, gradually revealing the plethora of objects surrounding it, slowly bringing clarity to what is going on and why. i love this way of writing, and will read other books of the same author.
Written in first person view, you feel right in the mix with Nahr, flipping between her intense present in The Cube, that grim solitary confinement in an Israeli jail, and her journey to adulthood, facing life's challenges head-on.
Sidenote: Will try to convince my wife to name our daughter as Nahr.
This hits you like a tracer bullet— a brilliant depiction of the ups and downs, sheer grit, triumphs, and the raw deal of life itself!! It throws a spotlight on the Palestinian fight for freedom and gives you a hard look at the real score on political prisoners and the harsh realities of incarceration.
The writing is fantastic, with each part we explore a new part of the lead character's cell, and her journey with all characters in flashbacks. Absolutely loved the complex characters, mother, daughter, granddaughter, siblings, friendships and relationships navigated in a complex environment.
I was particularly hooked with the way we started off the book.
Chapter 1 starts off with a singular focus, akin to a spotlight honed in on one lone object, demanding our undivided attention. Yet, as the narrative unfolds, this beam of light begins to ascend and broaden, gradually revealing the plethora of objects surrounding it, slowly bringing clarity to what is going on and why. i love this way of writing, and will read other books of the same author.
Written in first person view, you feel right in the mix with Nahr, flipping between her intense present in The Cube, that grim solitary confinement in an Israeli jail, and her journey to adulthood, facing life's challenges head-on.
Sidenote: Will try to convince my wife to name our daughter as Nahr.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
This is easily one of the best, most heart-breaking yet beautiful, and perspective-widening historical fiction I've read. I tabbed and highlighted this book so much, from page one.
I've read a few nonfiction books about Palestine and the Palestinian experience, so I feel I have a little bit of knowledge to say that this book, which combines the author's personal experience as a Palestinian, research, and fiction, is a good entryway into learning a little about their history, culture, the way they think, and understanding something about what Palestinians have been experiencing for decades.
All of this is learned through Nahr, our main character and narrator, who's writing a sort of memoir from prison. It felt very personal because she speaks to the reader, so it's like sitting down with her as she bares herself and her life fully open. I loved her and she felt like a very real person to me.
It's not always an easy read because the protagonist hasn't had an easy life, so of course there's a lot of trauma and it can get bleak, but it's beautifully written, insightful, incredibly moving, and also hopeful. There's so much substance in these pages! It's about displacement, resistance, endurance, survival, love, and family.
I feel like the story explains the experience of displacement, of being unwanted in the world and being unable to just have a normal life very well. I felt the anger and the sadness of it through the character. It also explains the experience of solitary confinement so well, I felt claustrophobic sometimes. And it provides a lot of insight into Palestinian culture and history.
For example, I appreciate their connection to the land so much, it was beautiful to read about and it stood out to me. I loved learning about family traditions like planting a tree every time someone is born, and other traditions like olive harvesting in the fall, and how connected they feel to their olive trees, etc.
I don't think I can fully express how much this book touched me or make it justice, I think everyone should read it.
I've read a few nonfiction books about Palestine and the Palestinian experience, so I feel I have a little bit of knowledge to say that this book, which combines the author's personal experience as a Palestinian, research, and fiction, is a good entryway into learning a little about their history, culture, the way they think, and understanding something about what Palestinians have been experiencing for decades.
All of this is learned through Nahr, our main character and narrator, who's writing a sort of memoir from prison. It felt very personal because she speaks to the reader, so it's like sitting down with her as she bares herself and her life fully open. I loved her and she felt like a very real person to me.
It's not always an easy read because the protagonist hasn't had an easy life, so of course there's a lot of trauma and it can get bleak, but it's beautifully written, insightful, incredibly moving, and also hopeful. There's so much substance in these pages! It's about displacement, resistance, endurance, survival, love, and family.
I feel like the story explains the experience of displacement, of being unwanted in the world and being unable to just have a normal life very well. I felt the anger and the sadness of it through the character. It also explains the experience of solitary confinement so well, I felt claustrophobic sometimes. And it provides a lot of insight into Palestinian culture and history.
For example, I appreciate their connection to the land so much, it was beautiful to read about and it stood out to me. I loved learning about family traditions like planting a tree every time someone is born, and other traditions like olive harvesting in the fall, and how connected they feel to their olive trees, etc.
I don't think I can fully express how much this book touched me or make it justice, I think everyone should read it.
emotional
informative
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:
Complicated
From a cell known as the Cube, Nahr shares her history, how she became a prisoner, and her struggles as Palestinian refugee woman.
Nahr is an amazing protagonist. Both honest and courageous, she’s a complex character who struggles with wanting to be accepted yet not apologizing for anything. Despite being victimized repetitively, she refuses to be a victim to her choices and her surroundings. Anulhawa’s writing elegantly captures the nuances of love and loss while giving the reader a look at Middle Eastern history, and the Israeli-Palestine conflict. The story was an emotional roller coaster and gave significant insight from a personal perspective of a history and a culture I wasn’t familiar with.
This was such a pleasant surprise. I have never read any other books by Susan Abulhawa but I would love to read more by her. I highly recommend although check for trigger warnings as this book can get a bit graphic.
Nahr is an amazing protagonist. Both honest and courageous, she’s a complex character who struggles with wanting to be accepted yet not apologizing for anything. Despite being victimized repetitively, she refuses to be a victim to her choices and her surroundings. Anulhawa’s writing elegantly captures the nuances of love and loss while giving the reader a look at Middle Eastern history, and the Israeli-Palestine conflict. The story was an emotional roller coaster and gave significant insight from a personal perspective of a history and a culture I wasn’t familiar with.
This was such a pleasant surprise. I have never read any other books by Susan Abulhawa but I would love to read more by her. I highly recommend although check for trigger warnings as this book can get a bit graphic.
challenging
dark
emotional
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:
No
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated