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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-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
The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar will tug at your heart strings and draw you into its rich, lyrical storytelling.
Before 12-year-old Nour lost her father to cancer, he thrilled her imagination with tales of Rawiya, a mapmaker’s apprentice from the 13th century.
Now, Nour and her mother and sisters are displaced from their home by bombing in Syria. As they travel across the Middle East and North Africa in search of safety, their journey parallels Rawiya’s. Nour draws bravery from the old story as she faces grief, meets new friends, and tries to make sense of the changes in her life.
Obviously, the themes are incredibly heavy—death, violence, and displacement—but the author also does a wonderful job of exploring wonder, hope, and family (both chosen and related). I particularly loved the powerful development of the relationships between the sisters. Nour’s POV as a child is poignant, and we see her grow throughout the journey.
This did feel a bit slow at times, heavy with metaphor and description, but I ended up really enjoying the novel!
Will pick it up later. Can’t get into it right now.
This is a story about the bonds of family, both genetic & chosen. There are numerous characters whom are developed and broadened over the course of the book. This book has two timelines & as an audiobook reader it wasn’t always obvious when the story changed timeframe. There were mapmakers in both storylines. I found myself googling a map of Syria/Spain/Morocco/Ceuta/Algeria/Libya/Egypt…geography not being a strength of mine. This book depicts the strength, purpose, sacrifice, & determination of refugees in ways that many could never imagine (self included).
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
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
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Trafficking, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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:
No
Zeyn is such an incredible writer and story teller
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was such a great book. Zeyn Joukhadar has such a lyrical way with words that fill his stories with a lot of details and descriptions that make for a fun read. I went in expecting alternating chapters but I should have realized that since Nour starts out telling the story of Rawiya it made more sense that each chapter after the first couple would start with a second from Rawiya and then continue on with Nour’s travels. I really enjoyed reading about all of the characters as they made their way across the lands. A lot of things happen along the way and I don’t want to spoil anything but I was happy with how everything ends up for both Nour and Rawiya. Be sure to read the notes chapter at the end for some interesting details as well.
another book finished thanks to my tiktok ban
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated