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kimschouwenaar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Woah. And I mean that in every sense of the expression. This multi-generational story about a Palestinian family grabs you by the throat, nails digging in, and does not relent. I expect it to retain its hold on me for months to come. Abulhawa takes you by the hand and leads you through history and grief, leads you through the relentless suffering of Palestinians, and does not hold back.
Each chapter I was left questioning Can this really happen? Can a people be this ruthless and arrogant to believe they have the rights to invade a country and act like they are the only victims?
Yes. In fact, it is happening and has been happening for decades. We need to stop trying to justify genocide. The safety of one people should not come at the cost of another country and culture.
"The roots of out grief coil so deeply into loss that death has come to live with us like a family member who makes you happy by avoiding you, but who is still one of the family. Our anger is a rage that Westerners cannot understand. Our sadness can make the stones weep. And the way we love is no exception, Amal."
It's a tough read, but I strongly believe it's one that we should all know.
Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, War, Xenophobia, Genocide, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Confinement, and Grief
Moderate: Kidnapping and Racism
Minor: Dementia, Deportation, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Pedophilia
nineinchnails'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? No
5.0
it feels weird to rate this book like i would other fiction novels, since many of these fictional events are recurring as we speak. what i will say is that anyone even slightly interested in learning about palestine stands to gain a lot from reading this book. while it is definitely heavy and dark, it shows so much beauty in the land and culture too. the story switches hands between characters a fair amount here but i think it works in its favour and is necessary to tell this particular story. i don't think anything i write here could do this book justice but i loved this book from front to cover and i don't think the contents will ever leave my mind.
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, War, Colonisation, Islamophobia, Grief, Genocide, Gun violence, Racism, Police brutality, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Child death, Gore, Animal death, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Hate crime, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexism, Sexual content, Dementia, Blood, Confinement, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Antisemitism, and Torture
Minor: Incest, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Miscarriage, and Rape
kind0fdarkness'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Colonisation, Death, Child death, Islamophobia, Genocide, Grief, Murder, Violence, Police brutality, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Torture, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual violence, Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, and Rape
ollie_again's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: War, Death, Violence, Islamophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Gun violence, Torture, and Child abuse
Moderate: Antisemitism, Racism, Abandonment, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Child death, Blood, and Mental illness
Minor: Pedophilia and Incest
thesapphiccelticbookworm'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Pregnancy, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, War, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Genocide, Torture, Blood, and Sexism
Minor: Rape and Pedophilia