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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
This is a really good book hidden in a just okay book. There are two alternating storylines: one in the ~1200s and one in 2011. The modern one is muchhh more interesting. I can see what the author was going for with the juxtaposition of two "travelers" stories but it didn't work for me. Very nice prose though
DNF. Well written and I think it was very good. I just couldn't right now. Too heavy on my heart. A 9 year old afraid of encroaching war is not something I can read right now.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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:
Complicated
I loved this book it is woven together so well. Rawiya and Nour’s stories enter twine so beautifully the story for was seamless. Although one is set in the twelfth century and one present day it shows how we as people don’t change that our life experiences are the same from the happy to the tragic. There is such a poetical way with this book the words carry you along and sweep up into the characters lives. I can’t wait to read what this author does next. I highly recommend this book not just for the content but the message it conveys also with the refugee crisis that is going on today.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.5 stars. Some parts of this book worked better for me than others. I appreciated how she connected an old story with a more current story. The "modern" story was a bit hard to believe at times (the fact that everything happened to them, and yet they survived). However, I did learn about some things that I did not know, which I'm guessing was part of the point of the author.
This is a book written with a specific objective in mind. The author, a Syrian American, is writing for those like himself who want to answer some of the questions about their heritage raised by the conflict and refugee crisis in Syria, as well as to heighten awareness among others, whose only knowledge of the situation comes from unrelentingly gloomy news reportage. The novel is structured with two parallel tales: one a fantasy à la Arabian Nights around the real life character of Al-Idrisi which focuses on the heroine Rawiya, who becomes his assistant; she is a role model for the protagonist of the other the story, Nour, the youngest of three sisters, who with their mother flee from Homs when their home is destroyed, through Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Algeria to Morocco. At times, the parallelism feels forced, and those more familiar with the historical character, Al-Idrisi, might resent some of the liberties taken in enmeshing him in a fantastical narrative. The story of Nour also stretches belief for those who are aware of the current realities in the countries traversed, particularly during Ramadan, when the story starts. But this novel was not written with such an audience in mind.
The very unreality of the stories is what strengthens the message of hope. In an interview, the author has said, “We have so much that we cannot lose if we remember where we come from and that we still have each other. Our loved ones and our heritage and our history are never lost. When we come together in community and tell our stories, we are never alone.” If he succeeds in comforting those who have lost and in raising empathy among those who were less aware of the tragedy of the Syrian refugee crisis, much has been achieved.
One specific, very enjoyable, aspect of the book is the description of Nour’s intense sensory perception, early on in Homs:
“Inside, the walls breathe sumac and sigh out the tang of olives. Oil and fat sizzle in a pan, popping in yellow and black bursts in my ears. The colors of voices and smells tangle in front of me like they’re projected on a screen: the peaks and curves of Huda’s pink-and -purple laugh, the brick-red ping of a kitchen timer, the green bite of baking yeast.”
Later in Libya:
“The hallways are caked in the brown-red stink of brakes.”
There are many other examples which add a peculiar intensity to Nour's story, making it especially memorable. Like the author, Nour has synesthesia, a neurological condition that causes the brain to process data in the form of several senses at once.
This is a creditable first novel, which whets the appetite for more.
The very unreality of the stories is what strengthens the message of hope. In an interview, the author has said, “We have so much that we cannot lose if we remember where we come from and that we still have each other. Our loved ones and our heritage and our history are never lost. When we come together in community and tell our stories, we are never alone.” If he succeeds in comforting those who have lost and in raising empathy among those who were less aware of the tragedy of the Syrian refugee crisis, much has been achieved.
One specific, very enjoyable, aspect of the book is the description of Nour’s intense sensory perception, early on in Homs:
“Inside, the walls breathe sumac and sigh out the tang of olives. Oil and fat sizzle in a pan, popping in yellow and black bursts in my ears. The colors of voices and smells tangle in front of me like they’re projected on a screen: the peaks and curves of Huda’s pink-and -purple laugh, the brick-red ping of a kitchen timer, the green bite of baking yeast.”
Later in Libya:
“The hallways are caked in the brown-red stink of brakes.”
There are many other examples which add a peculiar intensity to Nour's story, making it especially memorable. Like the author, Nour has synesthesia, a neurological condition that causes the brain to process data in the form of several senses at once.
This is a creditable first novel, which whets the appetite for more.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is an engaging, delightful adventure fantasy, with unique twists and turns. I adored this book