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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
I wish I could give this more stars! Beautifully written, seamlessly transitioned between Nour and Rawiya's stories ❤❤❤
emotional
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:
No
I didn't have the attention to stick with it. It's so beautiful and I'd like to revisit, but it was too much for me right now.
Good parallel stories playing off each other throughout the book. Nice mix of mythical and historical elements in one story. Eye-opening depiction of the hardships and motivations that are common among refugees.
Summer bingo-Set in a country you've never visited
The greatest strength of this beautifully written novel is that is causes us to remember that behind the labels of "refugee" or "illegal" are human beings who are simply seeking a safe and secure place to live. Really, is that too much to ask ?
The story of Nour and her family and their journey fleeing from the war in Syria is intertwined with a folktale about Rawiya who made a similar journey 900 years ago. During their journeys, both Nour and Rawiya faced various threats and dangers; I enjoyed the sense of adventure and seeing their personal growth as they found the strength to make their way through.
This is the author's debut novel and I look forward to reading her next one.
The greatest strength of this beautifully written novel is that is causes us to remember that behind the labels of "refugee" or "illegal" are human beings who are simply seeking a safe and secure place to live. Really, is that too much to ask ?
The story of Nour and her family and their journey fleeing from the war in Syria is intertwined with a folktale about Rawiya who made a similar journey 900 years ago. During their journeys, both Nour and Rawiya faced various threats and dangers; I enjoyed the sense of adventure and seeing their personal growth as they found the strength to make their way through.
This is the author's debut novel and I look forward to reading her next one.
This is two interwoven stories about girls who go on long journeys. The first is in the 1600s and the other in the 2000s. Both leave from Syria and wind up in Spain. The stories are told in such a way that the girl from the 2000s identifies as the girl from the 1600s, and their stories mirror each other although the story taking place in the 1600s runs into mythological creatures and magical stones while the girl in the 2000s runs into rebels and warlords that really exist. In fact, the entire journey starts out because their home is bombed in Syria. I had a hard time forgiving the mother for the fact that they were in Syria. The little girl was born in New York and didn't even live in Syria 6 months before rebels bombed her house. This means that her mother should have been well aware of what was happening in Syria and known that it was dangerous to move the family there. There was really no excuse given for this and even right before they left she's throwing a tantrum like a 2 year old saying she just wants her children to safely go to the market and to live a quiet life. Like... why the fuck did you move them into a war zone from New York then? The older daughters even ask her about the danger before they leave New York and she's just like "trust me it'll all be okay." Like she's such an idiot as to not be a believable character. Who is actually stupid enough to move to Syria this decade?
But anyway, I really liked this story, and really liked the way the narrator started out asking all kinds of childish questions but slowly over time her questions become more mature and philosophical. Also, the narrator had synesthesia and constantly talked about the color of words, which was a really interesting twist on the refugee story, especially when her mother uses that to tell her where to go, although why she didn't just say "go to this city" in English and instead made it a map I'm not entirely certain.
I'm really struggling with whether to give this one four or five stars. It was a beautiful story with wonderful characters, but the mother is really bugging me. Why did she take the family to Syria and why did she rely on Nour figuring out a puzzle to get the family back together again instead of just telling her directly where to go? It's bizarre.
But anyway, I really liked this story, and really liked the way the narrator started out asking all kinds of childish questions but slowly over time her questions become more mature and philosophical. Also, the narrator had synesthesia and constantly talked about the color of words, which was a really interesting twist on the refugee story, especially when her mother uses that to tell her where to go, although why she didn't just say "go to this city" in English and instead made it a map I'm not entirely certain.
I'm really struggling with whether to give this one four or five stars. It was a beautiful story with wonderful characters, but the mother is really bugging me. Why did she take the family to Syria and why did she rely on Nour figuring out a puzzle to get the family back together again instead of just telling her directly where to go? It's bizarre.
emotional
slow-paced
Beautiful and heart-wrenching, dreamy yet real. I loved The Thirty Names of Night, and I can't wait to read more from Zeyn Joukhadar. Nour was so well written, the wonder and thoughts and emotions of a child made her storyline magical without losing the very real emotions of the adults around her and their struggles. The relationships between characters evolved perfectly, and their mourning of lost loved ones and grief of lost homes was so incredibly done. The audiobook narration was done so well.
My only struggle was with the jumps between Nour and Rawiya's timelines, they sometimes blended together without a proper break to signal that one chapter was over and the POV switched. I'm not sure how this looked in print, but it was difficult for me to follow as an audiobook listener.
My only struggle was with the jumps between Nour and Rawiya's timelines, they sometimes blended together without a proper break to signal that one chapter was over and the POV switched. I'm not sure how this looked in print, but it was difficult for me to follow as an audiobook listener.
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Best book I’ve read in years. The prose is exquisite. The two stories beautifully intertwine geographically and thematically. Joukhadar is an author to celebrate and savor.