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tobyleblancauthor's review
5.0
It is so hard to write about families well. Tolstoy was right about how unique and complex our unhappiness can be. This is especially true if you factor in differing cultures, forbidden love, immigration stories, deep questions about identity, all wrapped with the confusion and mystery of mental illness. As both a therapist by trade, and a writer, I find it hard to conceive of how to meaningfully tell a story like this in one book. But Azim nailed it.
The stories of our ancestors account for so much of who we are today. Azim does not flinch when connecting the actions of the past to the decisions of the present. I was reminded of Eugenides's Middlesex when Azim would show how family is something bigger than just the stories and people living at a given moment. Beautiful, too, was how her flawed characters, with insufficient knowledge and support, correct the mistakes made by those in the past. Those parts definitely felt a little like Roy's The God of Small Things. The tragedies of this novel struck deep in my heart. The resolutions were sweet in their denouement. Both the opening pages and closing pages are some of the best I have ever read. This was truly hard to put down. But I feel thankful for the sleep I missed out on.
The stories of our ancestors account for so much of who we are today. Azim does not flinch when connecting the actions of the past to the decisions of the present. I was reminded of Eugenides's Middlesex when Azim would show how family is something bigger than just the stories and people living at a given moment. Beautiful, too, was how her flawed characters, with insufficient knowledge and support, correct the mistakes made by those in the past. Those parts definitely felt a little like Roy's The God of Small Things. The tragedies of this novel struck deep in my heart. The resolutions were sweet in their denouement. Both the opening pages and closing pages are some of the best I have ever read. This was truly hard to put down. But I feel thankful for the sleep I missed out on.
mad3n's review
4.0
I stumbled on this book at the library one day and am eternally grateful I did. This beautiful multigenerational family saga begins in Egypt in 1950s and ends in America in the 1980s chronicling a family’s experience with war, immigration, religion, politics, colonialism, mental illness, love, marriage, culture, and gender roles. This book felt very special to me as the main characters stories followed a very similar narrative to that of my ancestors helping bring to life the emotional and personal development that took place for them as they journeyed to a foreign land so young.
Dalia did a fantastic job of communicating the impact of the characters’s geographical and cultural upbringings across generations. The language and tone used to depict the the daughters experience growing up in America in the 70s and 80s was drastically different from the language and tone used in the first half of the novel depicting her parents love story in Egypt and journey to America. This contrast was jarring and awkward at times, but I felt this may be an artistic choice in order to bring forth discomfort revealing the ruggedness of the characters developing identities and to highlight the changes taking place across generations.
The ending to this book made me angry in the best way. As came to the ending, I wanted so badly for my questions to be answered and for some plot lines to come full circle with a bow on top. However, that is not life and the story of humanity is always continuing to be written through many generations connecting to one another. I wanted to give the book four stars because of the way I felt the story and language became more dull in the second half. However, reflecting on the novel, I can see the beauty in this choice and understand the importance of the messages being communicated. I really loved this book, I am so thankful I picked it up and I highly recommend. Thank you Dalia!
Dalia did a fantastic job of communicating the impact of the characters’s geographical and cultural upbringings across generations. The language and tone used to depict the the daughters experience growing up in America in the 70s and 80s was drastically different from the language and tone used in the first half of the novel depicting her parents love story in Egypt and journey to America. This contrast was jarring and awkward at times, but I felt this may be an artistic choice in order to bring forth discomfort revealing the ruggedness of the characters developing identities and to highlight the changes taking place across generations.
The ending to this book made me angry in the best way. As came to the ending, I wanted so badly for my questions to be answered and for some plot lines to come full circle with a bow on top. However, that is not life and the story of humanity is always continuing to be written through many generations connecting to one another. I wanted to give the book four stars because of the way I felt the story and language became more dull in the second half. However, reflecting on the novel, I can see the beauty in this choice and understand the importance of the messages being communicated. I really loved this book, I am so thankful I picked it up and I highly recommend. Thank you Dalia!
kaela_arcuri's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
kategci's review
4.0
This book falls into one of my favorite genres, the multigeneration family saga. This book take place in Egypt and the United States, starting in the 1950s and ending in the 1980s. This was a time of huge political upheaval in Egypt as it obtained independence from Great Britain, fought several wars with Israel and was governed by several military dictators. These changes did not initially affect Halah who has grown up wealthy and sheltered. She runs away with scholarship student Khalil as he lives Egypt to emigrate to the US for medical school. I was interested in the characters and the changes in Egypt, but ultimately, I found it a little too grim.
euniceroh's review
5.0
I genuinely felt for all the characters, and I loved the vivid imagery of Cairo, New York, among other places. I did find the plot to be a bit unsatisfying, but I thought the character development was superb.
minniepauline's review
5.0
This beautifully written novel begins in 1950s Egypt. Teenager Halah is caught between culture and tradition and her own dreams and desires. From there it spans years and continents, wars and political upheavals. But ultimately, this is a story of family. Of fathers and daughters, brothers, husbands and wives. Of parents lost and, ultimately, homes found.
hannicogood's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I enjoyed this novel the most at the beginning. We have three interconnected narrators and I was most interested in Halah’s story. However, it was easy to read and overall I thought it was good work, especially for a debut novel.
skirkwalsh's review
5.0
I was fortunate enough to be given a galley of Dalia Azim's stunning debut, COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. This multigenerational story explores the complexity of identity, freedom, and what it means to discover one's home (both literally and metaphorically). Told via multiple perspectives and places and time periods, Azim captures the complicated immigrant experience—and what her characters gain and lose when they move from Cairo to the States. There is a richness and a depth to this narrative that speaks to the universality of the human experience: We all want to belong to a family of sorts. We all want to love. We all want to be free. But the obstacles to these basic desires can be insurmountable due to one's circumstances. For example, with Hassan, he is literally imprisoned for unexplained reasons but managed to find footing in a new kind of life. For Amena, she must contend with the gaps and absences in her personal history and her own internal struggles (that can sometimes create a prison of their own). Taken altogether, this novel is thought-provoking and memorable. Highly recommend. Don't miss this debut from a wonderful independent publisher (A Strange Object, here in Austin, Texas) on March 15th, 2022.
aldourquiza's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0