Scan barcode
katarinabee's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Racism, Colonisation, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Sexism, Grief, Death, War, Toxic friendship, Pregnancy, and Xenophobia
bookswithcuppatea's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is a wonderfully written story of a Palestinian family in their precarious existence in Lebanon and Egypt, and how one member of the family reaches Australia. The story of how the family left Palestine is told by the grandmother to her granddaughters near the end of her life in Lebanon , a story she had never told anyone before.
I appreciated the insight into family dynamics in a cultural context so different from my own, and yet having grown up with sisters also relatable. Jamilah in particular was a character I felt I could empathise with, and I really hoped for her the whole way through, while I worried about how her life might turn out.
For a novel set during times of upheaval and uncertainty there are also moments of hope and beauty and joy. But there are also scenes of pain and grief. It's a novel I'd be very happy to read again, and I hope Sara M Saleh will write more novels after this!
I appreciated the insight into family dynamics in a cultural context so different from my own, and yet having grown up with sisters also relatable. Jamilah in particular was a character I felt I could empathise with, and I really hoped for her the whole way through, while I worried about how her life might turn out.
For a novel set during times of upheaval and uncertainty there are also moments of hope and beauty and joy. But there are also scenes of pain and grief. It's a novel I'd be very happy to read again, and I hope Sara M Saleh will write more novels after this!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death, Grief, and War
Minor: Colonisation
More...