Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
informative
sad
tense
slow-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
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
It took me a while to get into the story, but once I did I was able to completely immerse myself in it. This is a feast for literature connoisseurs!
The story takes place in 19th century Sudan. Akuany and her little brother Bol have been orphaned in a village raid and taken in by their late father’s friend, a young merchant Yaseen. First living with Yaseen’s sister, later enslaved, Akuany has to adjust to her frequently changing circumstances. At the same time a self proclaimed Mahdi prepares to claim power, and people around Akuany end up on different sides of the conflict.
When Akuany gets older her relationship with Yaseen evolves. The Mahdi revolution keeps tearing them apart, yet they are drawn to each other and stay close against all odds.
The writing is absolutely magical; it is descriptive yet not entirely direct. We learn about the atrocities of war but they are presented in a way that is not overly explicit or dramatic.
There are a few POVs and the narrative is switching between the first, third and even second person. The characters represent various combinations of national and religious background, political views and involvement in the conflict. It is a brilliant way to describe the events from different angles and show how they impact the lives of everyone affected.
It is not a light and easy read but I am glad and grateful that I picked it up. Highly recommended to all historical fiction lovers!
Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story takes place in 19th century Sudan. Akuany and her little brother Bol have been orphaned in a village raid and taken in by their late father’s friend, a young merchant Yaseen. First living with Yaseen’s sister, later enslaved, Akuany has to adjust to her frequently changing circumstances. At the same time a self proclaimed Mahdi prepares to claim power, and people around Akuany end up on different sides of the conflict.
When Akuany gets older her relationship with Yaseen evolves. The Mahdi revolution keeps tearing them apart, yet they are drawn to each other and stay close against all odds.
The writing is absolutely magical; it is descriptive yet not entirely direct. We learn about the atrocities of war but they are presented in a way that is not overly explicit or dramatic.
There are a few POVs and the narrative is switching between the first, third and even second person. The characters represent various combinations of national and religious background, political views and involvement in the conflict. It is a brilliant way to describe the events from different angles and show how they impact the lives of everyone affected.
It is not a light and easy read but I am glad and grateful that I picked it up. Highly recommended to all historical fiction lovers!
Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoy historical fiction from multiple perspectives. And I did learn more about Sudanese history and Islam through this book. At first I found the plot and characters really absorbing. But I lost momentum about 2/3 through the book.
Overall a heartbreaking commentary on war's toll on everyday lives, and how easily fortunes rise and fall.
Overall a heartbreaking commentary on war's toll on everyday lives, and how easily fortunes rise and fall.
This is a me thing for sure. I went in blind and I felt like there was too much -for me - focus on religion. I'm not a fan of organized religion so I wasn't connecting to the story
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had no information on this topic whatsoever, however, I really enjoyed it.
It's beautifully written, the sentences short but really strong with a lot of meaning behind it. The author had no need to write word by word what was going on because you could understand with few simple words.
As much as I like multiple povs, this book did have too many and it became tedious a little bit, as well as really slow at the beginning, that's why I lower a bit the rating.
It was really interesting and I liked reading about this conflict, I should look more into it.
It's beautifully written, the sentences short but really strong with a lot of meaning behind it. The author had no need to write word by word what was going on because you could understand with few simple words.
As much as I like multiple povs, this book did have too many and it became tedious a little bit, as well as really slow at the beginning, that's why I lower a bit the rating.
It was really interesting and I liked reading about this conflict, I should look more into it.
This is set during a very important part of Sudanese history (1880’s and 1890’s). And I was really looking forward to reading it.
Overall I thought it was insightful and written from a place of care and in rich detail. I didn’t feel particularly gripped by it at all times tbh, and it felt too long somehow.
I felt that some voices (pov’s) were more interesting than others. I wasn’t always clear on the purpose of the changing pov’s and when/how they occured. I don’t think it necessarily was to “sympathise” with everyone but just to “understand” their perspectives. I get that they were connected somehow which could explain it but I still didn’t feel convinced by their presence (some of the men tbh). For me, I just wanted to go back to Akuany most of all.
The beginning and especially the last 50 pages were great imo.
And I always really enjoy reading an honest recount on the British brutality and missionary intentions (bc I viscerally loathe that display of entitlement and evil from colonisers/settlers).
I’m glad I read it.
Overall I thought it was insightful and written from a place of care and in rich detail. I didn’t feel particularly gripped by it at all times tbh, and it felt too long somehow.
I felt that some voices (pov’s) were more interesting than others. I wasn’t always clear on the purpose of the changing pov’s and when/how they occured. I don’t think it necessarily was to “sympathise” with everyone but just to “understand” their perspectives. I get that they were connected somehow which could explain it but I still didn’t feel convinced by their presence (some of the men tbh). For me, I just wanted to go back to Akuany most of all.
The beginning and especially the last 50 pages were great imo.
And I always really enjoy reading an honest recount on the British brutality and missionary intentions (bc I viscerally loathe that display of entitlement and evil from colonisers/settlers).
I’m glad I read it.
Een prachtig geschreven verhaal over kolonialisme, revolutie, religie, liefde, verlies, doorzettingsvermogen en hoop.