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lunabbly's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-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
4.5
I love it when a collection of short stories has characters whose storylines intertwine with one another.
I read this while we are in month 6 of the ongoing genocide of Palestinians -- since the media has started to frame this genocide as a "war" between a resistance organization and the Israeli government. I think that Susan Muaddi Darraj does a phenomenal job of bringing out the most human emotions to the forefront while rejecting stereotypes about Palestinians and actually, drawing humor out in facing stereotypes. Aka it should make people feel like fools if they're still bought into those heinous stereotypes..
We follow stories of single mothers, complicated relationships, relationships that don't fit the traditional monogamous stereotypes. Darraj does a beautiful job of complicating storylines, characters, plots without illustrating unnecessary violence and using violence as a plot device. Even though we get shorter vignettes of people because it's a collection of short stories, we do see growth in characters. In particular Marcus, the cop (not my favorite character tbh), we see him through the lens of various characters and he himself gets 2 short stories dedicated through his perspective where we see the ending of his relationship with his girlfriend as well as with his father; and then we see him traveling back to Palestine to bury his father and he ends up marrying a Palestinian woman who is self-sufficient but also has experienced the sexual abuse traumas of war. Although I don't love the fact that he's a cop, we do see growth. There's a softness to him in the second story. As well as an appreciation for the land his ancestors came from but where he is unfamiliar. But there's no sensationalizing it, there's no exoticisizing it -- there's just a deep appreciation and a profound quietness about Palestine, Marcus's roots, and the Palestinian culture he was born into but had to reshape and remake into his own.
I highly recommend. It was full of desire, sadness, joy, and the contentment of being in community and being with oneself.
I read this while we are in month 6 of the ongoing genocide of Palestinians -- since the media has started to frame this genocide as a "war" between a resistance organization and the Israeli government. I think that Susan Muaddi Darraj does a phenomenal job of bringing out the most human emotions to the forefront while rejecting stereotypes about Palestinians and actually, drawing humor out in facing stereotypes. Aka it should make people feel like fools if they're still bought into those heinous stereotypes..
We follow stories of single mothers, complicated relationships, relationships that don't fit the traditional monogamous stereotypes. Darraj does a beautiful job of complicating storylines, characters, plots without illustrating unnecessary violence and using violence as a plot device. Even though we get shorter vignettes of people because it's a collection of short stories, we do see growth in characters. In particular Marcus, the cop (not my favorite character tbh), we see him through the lens of various characters and he himself gets 2 short stories dedicated through his perspective where we see the ending of his relationship with his girlfriend as well as with his father; and then we see him traveling back to Palestine to bury his father and he ends up marrying a Palestinian woman who is self-sufficient but also has experienced the sexual abuse traumas of war. Although I don't love the fact that he's a cop, we do see growth. There's a softness to him in the second story. As well as an appreciation for the land his ancestors came from but where he is unfamiliar. But there's no sensationalizing it, there's no exoticisizing it -- there's just a deep appreciation and a profound quietness about Palestine, Marcus's roots, and the Palestinian culture he was born into but had to reshape and remake into his own.
I highly recommend. It was full of desire, sadness, joy, and the contentment of being in community and being with oneself.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War and Sexual violence
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
While I really appreciated the concept for this narrative - a loosely connected, multi-POV weaving of slice-of-life vignettes for Palestinians living in diaspora in Baltimore, Maryland - it ultimately felt like it never exceeded the sum of its parts. I'm actually confused after reading an interview with the author that suggests the Marcus POV was her starting point. Marcus's POV didn't feel nearly as compelling as several of the others, and it romanticized policing in a way that didn't make sense for the rest of the narrative and feels tonally confusing. The prose is compelling, and I love the focus on stand-alone scenes (there are several short stories in here that were truly beautiful). The author absolutely shows more than she tells here, and it made this feel fast-paced and immersive. Marcus's police POVs were jarring, though, and I'm not sure I fully understand the author's intention with this character and perspective.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, War, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Death, Violence, Death of parent, Dementia, Fatphobia, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Confinement, Sexual violence, and Child death
metaphorsandmisc's review
emotional
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Dementia, Cultural appropriation, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Murder, Rape, Toxic relationship, War, Abortion, Eating disorder, Self harm, Body shaming, Colonisation, and Gun violence
Minor: Ableism, Infertility, and Suicide attempt
bookreviewswithkb's review
emotional
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
thank you @netgalley and @harpervia for the early review copy!
there were parts of this book that were really beautiful. i loved how the author wove together interconnected stories of the members of 3 different families. how each felt like a short story, but also a continuation. how the reader is exposed to various ways that Palestinian immigrants might experience america. the beautiful storytelling.
but there were also some problematic components that made my experience with this book difficult, including Arab stereotypes, misogyny and the glorification of policing
there were parts of this book that were really beautiful. i loved how the author wove together interconnected stories of the members of 3 different families. how each felt like a short story, but also a continuation. how the reader is exposed to various ways that Palestinian immigrants might experience america. the beautiful storytelling.
but there were also some problematic components that made my experience with this book difficult, including Arab stereotypes, misogyny and the glorification of policing
Content Warnings
Moderate: War and Police brutality
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