You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
adventurous
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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War
Moderate: Sexual assault
adventurous
emotional
tense
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
As a Syrian I was really excited to read a story by a Syrian author and the premise also really excited me. I got a few chapters in but then had to stop because I just couldn't get past the writing style. I love poetic prose and literary fiction but this is just so flowery and over the top. The synesthesia element just added further to that, which could have been really interesting if used more strategically/with restraint but it was constant. I found it all very distracting from the actual story and characters, and also a bit self-orientalising in parts - which made me feel like the book is written for a non-arab audience.
I coincidentally read The Map of Salt and Stars while traveling through Spain and Morocco, two of the countries the main characters journey through in the novel. This is a lyrical, profound work of fiction. The author follows a young girl fleeing Syria as a refugee in modern times and a young woman posing as a man mapping Syria and surrounding countries a thousand years ago.
Joukhadar beautifully transposes both characters to explore the history of the Arab Middle East and the ties to Spain, one of the major colonizers of the 15th through the 19th centuries AD. This timely novel beautifully explores both the personal and political. Because I read it while traveling through the regions covered in the book, I had a heightened appreciation of the author’s skill in intertwining history and narrative.
I was left with a few questions the author never addresses, like why a family who has lived in New York and is now in Syria cannot simply return without becoming refugees. Were most of the family members undocumented in the US, though the main character herself is a citizen? Were they simply too poor to return by flight? These lingering questions do somewhat dampen the impact of the novel but it is still a tour de force that captures the trauma and uncertainty facing refugees in our age of unprecedented global migration.
Joukhadar beautifully transposes both characters to explore the history of the Arab Middle East and the ties to Spain, one of the major colonizers of the 15th through the 19th centuries AD. This timely novel beautifully explores both the personal and political. Because I read it while traveling through the regions covered in the book, I had a heightened appreciation of the author’s skill in intertwining history and narrative.
I was left with a few questions the author never addresses, like why a family who has lived in New York and is now in Syria cannot simply return without becoming refugees. Were most of the family members undocumented in the US, though the main character herself is a citizen? Were they simply too poor to return by flight? These lingering questions do somewhat dampen the impact of the novel but it is still a tour de force that captures the trauma and uncertainty facing refugees in our age of unprecedented global migration.
I liked Nour's story, but every time it switched to the fairytale, I could not stay focused. It was just a distraction from the real story. I got to the end and was glad it was over, not a good sign for a good read.