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4.56 AVERAGE
4.56 AVERAGE
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:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
sad
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:
Complicated
Susan Abulhawa has written a masterpiece. This novel is beautifully, if not painfully, written and gives modern readers an often untold view into the beauty of Palestinian lands. Mostly told from the the perspective of Amal, the youngest child and only daughter of Hasan and Dalia, the story follows her from her childhood in exile in her homeland (with flashbacks to tell the family story) to her middle-aged life in the United States.
This was a difficult read emotionally, and I had to put the book down a number of times to reflect on the horrible events that took place; the wars, children hiding, bombings, checkpoints, refugee camps portrayed the sad reality of people without rights to their homeland. In spite of these injustices, Abulhawa also showed readers the joy, childhood friendships, and honey apple tobacco scented memories of a tight-knit community of family and close friends.
In these times we are living, this novel was one of the most impactful novels I've read this year.
This was a difficult read emotionally, and I had to put the book down a number of times to reflect on the horrible events that took place; the wars, children hiding, bombings, checkpoints, refugee camps portrayed the sad reality of people without rights to their homeland. In spite of these injustices, Abulhawa also showed readers the joy, childhood friendships, and honey apple tobacco scented memories of a tight-knit community of family and close friends.
In these times we are living, this novel was one of the most impactful novels I've read this year.
i didn’t think i could love this one as much as i loved against a loveless world, but i did. i loved it differently but just as much. abulhawa creates incredible female protagonists. all around beautiful.
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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:
No
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Truly made me cry like a baby several times. Abulhawa simultaneously writes so beautifully while also refusing to romanticize or dismiss the horrific acts of the occupation and the effects it had on four generations of a single family.
I truly feel like no sentence is wasted, in both moving the plot along and in describing moments of hope and happiness that will make you so heartbroken when its destroyed. If I loved the book less, I feel like I could speak on it more, but I don't think a short review will ever be able to do it the justice it deserves.
I truly feel like no sentence is wasted, in both moving the plot along and in describing moments of hope and happiness that will make you so heartbroken when its destroyed. If I loved the book less, I feel like I could speak on it more, but I don't think a short review will ever be able to do it the justice it deserves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Genocide, Torture, Blood, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Colonisation, War
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Death of parent
Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Rape
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Listening to this narration while there is an ongoing genocide in Palestine is devastating. The story is based on the reality and history spanning 1948 to 2002 and the authors personal experience in Jenin. It’s as if she is writing about what is happening today. And still the powers that be do nothing.
Thank you for writing this book. Thank you for sharing these stories.
Thank you for writing this book. Thank you for sharing these stories.