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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
Fiction comes to life in this story of Nour, a Syrian preteen who flees civil war and journeys across North Africa. Nour’s plight parallels a story her late father would tell, one of a young mapmaking apprentice whose adventures inspire Nour to persist. The themes and cadence of the story made for an entertaining read, but Joukhadar falls short in his attempts to inject profundity or surprises into the plot (why couldn’t the mother just *say* “go to Ceuta”? Why have an unnecessarily cryptic map?)
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
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:
Complicated
This book should remind us, in this troubled time, that Syrians are still refugees, and each one of those refugees has a map made of tears and scars and love and family.
It is a beautiful parallel story of a modern-day Syrian family and a crafted legend of mapmakers and travelers.
I wondered, too, if Jennifer Zeynab-Joukhadar had ever read Adrienne Rich's "Twenty One Love Poems." I thought of these lines (below) from the poem immediately, and marveled that, in the midst of a very specific story, there could also be this universality of trying to find self and place
Adrienne Rich, Twenty One Love Poems
XIII
The rules break like a thermometer,
quicksilver spills across the charted systems,
we’re out in a country that has no language
no laws, we’re chasing the raven and the wren
through gorges unexplored since dawn
whatever we do together is pure invention
the maps they gave us were out of date
by years… we’re driving through the desert
wondering if the water will hold out
the hallucinations turn to simple villages
the music on the radio comes clear—
neither Rosenkavalier nor Götterdämmerung
but a woman’s voice singing old songs
with new words, with a quiet bass, a flute
plucked and fingered by women outside the law.
It is a beautiful parallel story of a modern-day Syrian family and a crafted legend of mapmakers and travelers.
I wondered, too, if Jennifer Zeynab-Joukhadar had ever read Adrienne Rich's "Twenty One Love Poems." I thought of these lines (below) from the poem immediately, and marveled that, in the midst of a very specific story, there could also be this universality of trying to find self and place
Adrienne Rich, Twenty One Love Poems
XIII
The rules break like a thermometer,
quicksilver spills across the charted systems,
we’re out in a country that has no language
no laws, we’re chasing the raven and the wren
through gorges unexplored since dawn
whatever we do together is pure invention
the maps they gave us were out of date
by years… we’re driving through the desert
wondering if the water will hold out
the hallucinations turn to simple villages
the music on the radio comes clear—
neither Rosenkavalier nor Götterdämmerung
but a woman’s voice singing old songs
with new words, with a quiet bass, a flute
plucked and fingered by women outside the law.
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-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:
No
One of the most impressionable books I have ever read. I couldn’t stop turning the pages. It was a wrenching read but captivating and magical. The story came alive through synesthesia filled imagery and the darkness made less so by innocence and love. A must read, but I might not ever read again.
Once I finish picking up all the broken pieces of my heart, I'll write a proper review.
This book deserves all the stars in the world.
This book deserves all the stars in the world.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Audiobook Review. Narrator: LaraSawalha
This was a book group pick. I normally wouldn't have read this otherwise. I enjoyed the book but it somewhat depressing. The ending was a bit too 'neat' to be believable, but overall I found the history interesting as it takes place in a part of the world I know nothing about - the education system in the United States prefers to keep us ignorant of world history and events.
This was a book group pick. I normally wouldn't have read this otherwise. I enjoyed the book but it somewhat depressing. The ending was a bit too 'neat' to be believable, but overall I found the history interesting as it takes place in a part of the world I know nothing about - the education system in the United States prefers to keep us ignorant of world history and events.