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jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't enjoy this debut novel quite as much as I enjoyed her 2nd novel, "Cresenent".
philip_bonanno's review against another edition
medium-paced
3.75
Some parts were really stunningly written—others were less so. I loved the filial drama. Important for anyone studying the history of Arab American lit
neila903's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Top 5 books definitely
kategci's review against another edition
3.0
I read this for the Spilling Tea Book Club and I liked it, but did not love it. It tells the story of two half Jordanian sisters and their father in suburban Syracuse New York. Their wife and mother died way too young of typhus on a visit to Jordan and the large, extended Jordanian family has mad it their mission to see the girls happy and settled (in their minds, married with large families). The older sister, Jemorah is bright and unhappy. She wants more out of her life than being a data person in the hospital that employs her father and sister. Melvina, seven years younger is a Head Nurse, strict and stern, who does not necessarily see happiness as as a goal. Not much happens in the story, it is more of a descriptive tale of being overwhelmed by a large family, full of characters. Closer to the end, the author provides more backstory, encouraging some sympathy for members of the family. I am looking forward to our virtual discussion!
twowhoodles's review against another edition
2.0
I got this after reading and loving the authors' novel "Crescent". This was good, just not as good. I think if I'd read it first I would have liked it more.
imyerhero's review against another edition
4.0
Jemorah and Melvina Ramoud have been raised by their father – a Jordanian American man whose love for the drums is the only thing that can dampen his grief for his late wife. Now in their 20′s, Jem and Melvie are a source of constant worry to their aunts, who long to see them married off to a nice Arabian man. Jem is brilliantly intelligent but lacks the motivation to do much with her life, working as a secretary in the same hospital as her father and sister. Melvie is a highly driven nurse, who takes no guff from her patients or her family and friends, she is as stubborn and powerful as a force of nature. As different family members travel from Jordan to assist in the attempts to find men for these women, Jem and Melvie and their father, must come to terms with who they are and who their family is. The girls must struggle to define themselves – are they Arabian or American? Or can they be both? And they must forgive themselves for what happened to their mother – who was with both of them the night she died. Along their path of healing and learning, other family members are drawn in and given a chance to forgive themselves for ancient wrongs and misdeeds.
I didn’t really have a great reason for picking this book up, mostly because we were trying to take as many books from the library as we could to help them move and this sounded vaguely interesting. The basis for the story (finding your racial identity or dealing with the death of your mother) wasn’t very pertinent for me but I still found both Jemorah and Melvina enthralling as characters. The storytelling was lovely and lyrical, with portions of such beautiful prose that it could have been considered poetry.
You could call this book a novel without a conclusive ending – it isn’t wrapped up all neat and tidy like a Jane Austen novel. But it still is satisfying. All throughout the story, there’s a frantic and unhappy and unsettled tone. But the ending is mellow and peaceful, and you see that it’s the perfect way for you to leave the family.
I didn’t really have a great reason for picking this book up, mostly because we were trying to take as many books from the library as we could to help them move and this sounded vaguely interesting. The basis for the story (finding your racial identity or dealing with the death of your mother) wasn’t very pertinent for me but I still found both Jemorah and Melvina enthralling as characters. The storytelling was lovely and lyrical, with portions of such beautiful prose that it could have been considered poetry.
You could call this book a novel without a conclusive ending – it isn’t wrapped up all neat and tidy like a Jane Austen novel. But it still is satisfying. All throughout the story, there’s a frantic and unhappy and unsettled tone. But the ending is mellow and peaceful, and you see that it’s the perfect way for you to leave the family.
lizmart88's review against another edition
2.0
I was a big fan of Crescent, but I did not love this book nearly as much. This definitely felt like a first novel, and I think Abu-Jaber's later novels are vastly improved.
Overall, the themes were excellent, and similar to her later novels. It is an exploration of what it means to be "half" - in this case half Arab and half white; and what it means to live in between cultures. I enjoyed the role reversal of the younger sister being more dominant, and the older sister being the daydreaming, flighty one. All of the characters were eccentric, and I felt like I should relate to them - but I just couldn't get invested in their lives.
Some of the characters felt a little too far-fetched. It felt a little unbelievable that Jem would even consider running away with Gil Sesame. And the Otts family felt too stereotypical of a family entrenched in poverty.
In summary: read Crescent and her later novels!
Overall, the themes were excellent, and similar to her later novels. It is an exploration of what it means to be "half" - in this case half Arab and half white; and what it means to live in between cultures. I enjoyed the role reversal of the younger sister being more dominant, and the older sister being the daydreaming, flighty one. All of the characters were eccentric, and I felt like I should relate to them - but I just couldn't get invested in their lives.
Some of the characters felt a little too far-fetched. It felt a little unbelievable that Jem would even consider running away with Gil Sesame. And the Otts family felt too stereotypical of a family entrenched in poverty.
In summary: read Crescent and her later novels!
el_entrenador_loco's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.75
buttermellow's review against another edition
1.0
Although the other books by this author I love, this one fell short. It didn't have a clear plot, and it tried to tell the stories of too many people. It was a compendium of thoughts and events occurring everywhere over a span of time, and it was just too much. No one character was developed enough, instead each was developed a mediocre amount. The book ended up dragging on with no focus.
terryliz's review
2.0
Last year, I read two of Diana Abu-Jaber's novels and one of her memoirs and thoroughly enjoyed them all. Her descriptive writing style, especially when involving food and cooking, was pure prose. "Arabian Jazz" was her first novel and I just cannot get into it. I'm 237 pages in and I think that's where I'll leave it. The story is about two motherless, Jordanian-American sisters in their late 20's whose aunt is worried that she'll never get them married off. One sister is very focused and outspoken and the other is very unsure of herself. Their forays into dating are just rather silly and some of the characters that surround them seem to just fade in and out. Disappointing.