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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
*NOT like "The Kite Runner"*
A rare "love-at-first-pages" kind of book for me.
Zeyn Joukhadar manages to create a story-tale atmosphere in a present-day context by interweaving Nour's story (a 12-year American-born Syrian girl) with that of Rawiya, a girl living in the 12th century who becomes the apprentice of a map-maker and travels the world to create the largest map ever made until then. There are many parallels between the two stories, but their main connection is that Nour is told Rawiya's story by her father, now no longer alive.
Returning to Syria after her father's death, Nour is a Syrian who feels she doesn't belong, not able to speak the language or truly get immersed in the culture. Still, she has her parents' stories and their friend, Abu Sayeed, with whom she forms a deep bond. Maybe this is the reason why the break-up with the country (when her mother decides to move Nour and her sisters away from Syria, as the conflict unravels) is not as badly perceived by Nour - nor is the conflict itself perceived or portrayed as bad. Part of the reason might be her age and the fact that she has never before experienced something similar (there are quite a few times when she doesn't really comprehend what exactly is happening); and this part of the story is told first-person, from her perspective.
On the other hand, Rawiya is a young girl who decides to leave home in search of herself and of proving herself to her mother. She cuts her hair and, presenting as a boy, becomes the apprentice of Al-Idrisi, thus leaving for the adventure of a lifetime. They encounter mythological creatures, bandits, a king for whom they create the map and many more along the way, in a One Thousand and One Nights kind of storytelling.
The whole narrative is sensorially-rich, be it visual or olfactive, and both storylines are full of teachings for the main characters.
*For those stumbling upon this book because of its comparison to The Kite Runner... I can only imagine that this comparison was initially made regarding the book's impact to the country's visibility - as The Kite Runner became a phenomenon and showed the world so much more of Afghanistan than what it was known for (mostly just for the war), so would The Map of Salt and Stars be for Syria, uncovering a magical, mythical and historically-rich world beyond the current events. But the comparison stops here. The narrative styles are different, the stories and the character arcs are different, the way of depicting the horrors of history are different. Both beautiful, but quite different.
A rare "love-at-first-pages" kind of book for me.
Zeyn Joukhadar manages to create a story-tale atmosphere in a present-day context by interweaving Nour's story (a 12-year American-born Syrian girl) with that of Rawiya, a girl living in the 12th century who becomes the apprentice of a map-maker and travels the world to create the largest map ever made until then. There are many parallels between the two stories, but their main connection is that Nour is told Rawiya's story by her father, now no longer alive.
Returning to Syria after her father's death, Nour is a Syrian who feels she doesn't belong, not able to speak the language or truly get immersed in the culture. Still, she has her parents' stories and their friend, Abu Sayeed, with whom she forms a deep bond. Maybe this is the reason why the break-up with the country (when her mother decides to move Nour and her sisters away from Syria, as the conflict unravels) is not as badly perceived by Nour - nor is the conflict itself perceived or portrayed as bad. Part of the reason might be her age and the fact that she has never before experienced something similar (there are quite a few times when she doesn't really comprehend what exactly is happening); and this part of the story is told first-person, from her perspective.
On the other hand, Rawiya is a young girl who decides to leave home in search of herself and of proving herself to her mother. She cuts her hair and, presenting as a boy, becomes the apprentice of Al-Idrisi, thus leaving for the adventure of a lifetime. They encounter mythological creatures, bandits, a king for whom they create the map and many more along the way, in a One Thousand and One Nights kind of storytelling.
The whole narrative is sensorially-rich, be it visual or olfactive, and both storylines are full of teachings for the main characters.
*For those stumbling upon this book because of its comparison to The Kite Runner... I can only imagine that this comparison was initially made regarding the book's impact to the country's visibility - as The Kite Runner became a phenomenon and showed the world so much more of Afghanistan than what it was known for (mostly just for the war), so would The Map of Salt and Stars be for Syria, uncovering a magical, mythical and historically-rich world beyond the current events. But the comparison stops here. The narrative styles are different, the stories and the character arcs are different, the way of depicting the horrors of history are different. Both beautiful, but quite different.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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
A beautifully written story - I was often moved by the vivid descriptions painted by the author of an ongoing refugee crisis we all would do well to learn more about.
**Note: the author’s name is Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar. Not sure why it’s been incorrectly inputted on the Goodreads site.
**Note: the author’s name is Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar. Not sure why it’s been incorrectly inputted on the Goodreads site.
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-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 really a 3.5 - the author bit off a lot with these two intricate stories and although I didn’t find it mind-blowing, it was an engaging read. The main character has synesthesia, which provides the opportunity for the author to lean into visual descriptions of sounds and words, which I enjoyed but became a bit tiring by the end of the book. The mythological story provided a needed respite from the harrowing modern day story of a displaced family. I became a bit frustrated with some of the choices made in that modern story related to the mom’s communication with her daughters, but overall this was the most real and heart wrenching depiction of being a refugee that I’ve read in fiction. And the myth was beautiful and empowering to girls and women.
Popsugar 2022 Reading Challenge - A book set during a holiday
Popsugar 2022 Reading Challenge - A book set during a holiday
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is a book that I dearly wish had had a really good editor. The language is beautiful, but for me, it was a bit too much. The plotting, likewise, was almost there, but there were pieces that rang very untrue, like what kind of mother would hide clues about where they are going in a map that can only be deciphered by her youngest daughter, as opposed to, you know, saying something like "girls, this is where we are going. If we get separated, go there!" .
That said, I think that the refugee experience came through loud and clear and I enjoyed the interwoven stories. Overall, I liked it, but I just wanted more from it.
Read for Popsugar Reading Challenge 2022: A book that takes place during a holiday.
That said, I think that the refugee experience came through loud and clear and I enjoyed the interwoven stories. Overall, I liked it, but I just wanted more from it.
Read for Popsugar Reading Challenge 2022: A book that takes place during a holiday.
The Map of Salt and Stars is made up of two stories that are intended to intertwine with each other: the story of young Nour and her family as they flee from war-torn Syria in search of safety, and the legendary tale of Rawiyah, disguised as a boy, apprenticed to a famous mapmaker and fighting a mythological beast.
What I liked:
✔️The lyrical language the author employs, especially to convey Nour's synesthesia and how she perceives her surroundings.
✔️The vivid descriptions made it easy to visualise the scenery, made me almost able to taste the food and allowed me to share the fear Nour and her family experienced.
✔️The account the book gives of what a harrowing experience it is to be a refugee, with no place to call home and no idea when, or if, you will ever be safe again.
✔️The relationship between Nour and her two (very different) sisters was also one aspect of the book I loved.
What I didn't like so much:
❌When I read a book with alternating storylines I expect one part to flow smoothly into the other. It wasn't that the two stories didn't share any similarities; the geography was the same, maps were a focal point of both and Rawiya's story was one that Nour's father used to tell her before he died. That makes it sound like they should have melded well but there was still a huge disconnect between the two that I couldn't get over.
❌As may be the case with alternating storylines, I was much more invested in one (Nour's story) than the other.
❌Though the writing was delightful, it took me more than half the book to really get into it. It became much more compelling after the halfway point.
Overall, although it's not a book I'm going to be raving about, I'd definitely recommend giving it a go.
What I liked:
✔️The lyrical language the author employs, especially to convey Nour's synesthesia and how she perceives her surroundings.
✔️The vivid descriptions made it easy to visualise the scenery, made me almost able to taste the food and allowed me to share the fear Nour and her family experienced.
✔️The account the book gives of what a harrowing experience it is to be a refugee, with no place to call home and no idea when, or if, you will ever be safe again.
✔️The relationship between Nour and her two (very different) sisters was also one aspect of the book I loved.
What I didn't like so much:
❌When I read a book with alternating storylines I expect one part to flow smoothly into the other. It wasn't that the two stories didn't share any similarities; the geography was the same, maps were a focal point of both and Rawiya's story was one that Nour's father used to tell her before he died. That makes it sound like they should have melded well but there was still a huge disconnect between the two that I couldn't get over.
❌As may be the case with alternating storylines, I was much more invested in one (Nour's story) than the other.
❌Though the writing was delightful, it took me more than half the book to really get into it. It became much more compelling after the halfway point.
Overall, although it's not a book I'm going to be raving about, I'd definitely recommend giving it a go.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, War
Moderate: Cancer, Gore, Rape, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
I'm finding it really difficult to rate this book.
On one hand, it's an important book that highlights important issues. And most times, the writing is gorgeous and evocative.
On another hand, there were issues with pacing (personally, it was hard for me to invest up until about 70% through) and I much preferred Rawiya's story to Nour's.
So, a three star rating. Which, in Goodreads terms, means "I liked it." And I did. But it still wasn't quite what I was expecting or hoping for.
On one hand, it's an important book that highlights important issues. And most times, the writing is gorgeous and evocative.
On another hand, there were issues with pacing (personally, it was hard for me to invest up until about 70% through) and I much preferred Rawiya's story to Nour's.
So, a three star rating. Which, in Goodreads terms, means "I liked it." And I did. But it still wasn't quite what I was expecting or hoping for.
adventurous
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