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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am now a fully converted lover of short stories. I picked up this collection a little while ago, and have been enjoying reading the odd story from time to time during my breaks at work (when I'm not feverishly finishing lesson plans, marking, or photocopying and can actually sit down for 5 mins) 😅
Nayrouz Qarmout is a Palestinian author, who was born in Damascus and returned to the Gaza Strip when she was 10 years old. The stories in this collection are drawn from her experiences growing up as a woman in Gaza. Each story looks at life in Gaza through a different lense, from the orphaned children, to the young bride. The injustice, and suffering caused by the political struggles is the unifying thread which hold the collection together, and demands the attention of the reader.
Having recently read Against The Loveless World, I appreciated having another authors perspective on Gaza. Although the two authors have completely different styles, they convey a similar message, and the two works got together to create a more comprehensive picture of life under Isreli occupation. v
Nayrouz Qarmout is a Palestinian author, who was born in Damascus and returned to the Gaza Strip when she was 10 years old. The stories in this collection are drawn from her experiences growing up as a woman in Gaza. Each story looks at life in Gaza through a different lense, from the orphaned children, to the young bride. The injustice, and suffering caused by the political struggles is the unifying thread which hold the collection together, and demands the attention of the reader.
Having recently read Against The Loveless World, I appreciated having another authors perspective on Gaza. Although the two authors have completely different styles, they convey a similar message, and the two works got together to create a more comprehensive picture of life under Isreli occupation. v
This is a very difficult and confrontational read. The stories are very short though and I took my time reading through them one at a time in order to emotionally deal with them. I see in the GoodReads stats that I took 1 whole year to read through it. The stories cover the difficulties of life as a Palestinian in Gaza, in all its facets and for all kinds of people. Heartbreaking and worrisome.
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Read July 2021
I'm not going to rate this as I prefer short stories that have a speculative, sff or horror element, but I'm glad I read this.
I'm not going to rate this as I prefer short stories that have a speculative, sff or horror element, but I'm glad I read this.
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
A great collection of short stories showing life in Gaza for Palestinian women and the additional restrictions they face due to their gender.
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
challenging
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a series of short stories about life in Gaza. Each story is woven together really well and feels complete. The characters feel realistic, and the sometimes terrible things that happen are related in ways that don't feel overly voyeuristic or sensational.
My favourite stories: Black Grapes; The Long Braid.
My favourite stories: Black Grapes; The Long Braid.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Car accident
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Incest
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
I heard about Sea Cloak & Other Stories during Women In Translation month and was excited to find it in a bookshop I visited on holiday. It was written by Nayrouz Qarmout and translated by Perween Richards both in 2019.
The stories were engaging and brutal touching on the difficulties of life as a Palestinian in Gaza, both historically and currently. This was not an easy read and I was glad to only read a story a day to really think about it. Many of the stories all had a common thread of connections and chance meetings. I really liked how they often in a short few pages showed the same scene from two or three different perspectives which made it whole, complete. Most people need whole novels to do it as deftly and as stunningly as Qarmout does. I really enjoyed all the stories and will definitely revisit this book again
CW: child rape, suicide bombing, state sanctioned murder
The stories were engaging and brutal touching on the difficulties of life as a Palestinian in Gaza, both historically and currently. This was not an easy read and I was glad to only read a story a day to really think about it. Many of the stories all had a common thread of connections and chance meetings. I really liked how they often in a short few pages showed the same scene from two or three different perspectives which made it whole, complete. Most people need whole novels to do it as deftly and as stunningly as Qarmout does. I really enjoyed all the stories and will definitely revisit this book again
CW: child rape, suicide bombing, state sanctioned murder