Scan barcode
marae216's review
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Rape, and Slavery
ireadtoescape_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The many points of view were sometimes confusing for me. I don’t know if this was the translation but I got a bit confused sometimes.
Overall, I’m glad I read it. I honestly didn’t know much about Oman - especially the history of slavery amongst other things. It was a very interesting view into the lives of these women and the struggles in this world they lived in as it changed over time.
Moderate: Slavery and Domestic abuse
Minor: Xenophobia
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In other words this is a book that requires plenty of effort and concentration from the reader. Thankfully I felt my effort was worth it. It was a complicated family story which I always enjoy, one which highlighted the challenges faced by women, challenges which some navigated to their own advantage better than others. However, the story also emphasised the way traditional societal practices had negative impacts on men as well. I couldn’t help but feel for Abdallah, who suffered at the hands of an abusive father and whose wife did not love him the way way he loved her. While reading this novel I built up a picture of Omani society, the way it traditionally operated and the way it changed, little by little, over the twentieth century, from an insular, patriarchal slave holding society to one where western influences and practises were more pervasive. The uneasy coexistence of the old and the new was evident, as were the class divides and disparities of wealth. While I struggled to settle into the flow of the story, the big picture as it were, many of the chapters were excellent, and the novel included some compelling character studies.
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Slavery
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Ableism
196books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Rape
nyne's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Slavery and Ableism
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
Moderate: Slavery
samisal's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Moderate: Slavery, Physical abuse, Ableism, Suicide, Child death, and Child abuse
nicoleisalwaysreading's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
2.5
It took a few failed attempts to really get into this one, and the library repeatedly taking my e-book loan away did not help matters. Jokha Alharthi's writing is largely genealogical, examining the myriad of relationships between three interwoven families. When she gets philosophical, examining the family's place in the larger Omani society, the lingering effects of slavery, apathy, and expectations, or the bond between lovers or sisters, her writing soars with beautiful lyricism. Breathtaking, really.
It was just hard for me to follow the different lines, despite heavily relying on a family tree provided in the beginning. None of the characters felt sufficiently developed, despite multiple installments of their "perspective," with each chapter oscillating between the many characters. The book scans different timelines with little explanation, and there was no cumulative effect, meaning the stories did not seem to build into something easily deciphered. I wanted more, or maybe less? Less characters, more of a deep dive with development for each. I felt like I did not know much more about any of them than when I began, although I did connect with certain characters and their stories
Moderate: Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, and Infidelity
Minor: Suicide
fionac326's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Slavery
bluejayreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy, Death, Child abuse, and Infidelity
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, and Slavery
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Sexual content, and Domestic abuse
Other triggers: Childbirth, spousal neglect Note on Incest trigger: Many characters in this story marry their first cousins, and we in the West would categorize that as incest. But it’s clear from the book that not only is that not considered incest in Oman, marrying someone from your family is often preferable to marrying a stranger. It is still incest to us Westerners, but in the book it's treated as a very good marriage option.