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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
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:
No
What a lovely, sad, and lyrical book. A Palestinian family is driven out of their homeland 1960s and generation after generation is impacted by war, loss, and change. Salt Houses is about so many things - war, the impermanence of home, aging, generational differences. Hala Alyan has crafted a story that is particular to the injustices and experiences faced by transplanted Palestinian people and general in its meditation on nostalgia, longing, and time. Beautiful.
adventurous
challenging
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
I could really connect with the characters, especially in the second half of the book. Lively scenes and beautiful descriptions of kitchens, cities, and landscapes but it was the characters who really drove this book forward for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit, Dementia, Colonisation
Minor: Islamophobia, Death of parent, Murder, War
emotional
informative
reflective
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:
No
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Beautiful multigenerational story of one family’s journey thru life, wars, children, marriage, grief, etc
This was recommended by a pro-Palestine activist, so I was surprised by how little Palestine featured, but I’m still glad I read it.
This made me long for a family like theirs - rather than my distantly polite and waspish network of relatives that barely exist to each other
This was recommended by a pro-Palestine activist, so I was surprised by how little Palestine featured, but I’m still glad I read it.
This made me long for a family like theirs - rather than my distantly polite and waspish network of relatives that barely exist to each other
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, War
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Marvelous...not usually my type of book, so I shocked myself when it brought tears to my eyes. A beautiful reflection on family and remembrance.