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A review by donasbooks
The Ardent Swarm by Yamen Manai
4.0
This is my first completed book of my August Picks and it was a fun one! Yamen Manai takes us on a journey to the North African village of Nawa, where Sidi lives a withdrawn but settled life with his wife (who saves the day, if you ask me, but I won't spoil that for you!) raising bees. (We won't talk about how annoying I find it that he refers to these insects throughout the entire book as his "girls." Not "sweethearts," or "babies," or even "lovers," but "girls.")
The plot was a little muddled, I thought, as Manai's metaphor might have actually been a matter of conflation. The invasion of a deadly wasp on his bees' hives, which threatened Sidi's own livelihood and apparently the future of the whole region poses a serious problem-- maybe just as serious as the simultaneous storyline in which the region's neighborhoods and educational institutions become infiltrated by religious extremists? Until the very last minute, when Manai lines everything up, I wasn't sure how everything was supposed to connect. I didn't even think it related except by convenience of location.
Maybe the extended metaphor at work here needs another leg...or two...but the last couple scenes are fantastic and tie the book together beautifully. I did enjoy this book both for a great ending, and for the great research.
Do you remember how everyone squealed about how much they learned about beekeeping from THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES? Well. This book kind of shows that one way up!
Rating 3.5 stars
Finished August 2022
Recommended for fans of contemporary fiction; readers seeking diverse voices and stories
August Pick 2/10
52 Book Club Summer Genre Challenge: Other
52 Book Club 52 Book Challenge: set on at least 2 continents
*Follow my Instagram book blog for all my reviews, challenges, and book lists! http://www.instagram.com/donasbooks *
The plot was a little muddled, I thought, as Manai's metaphor might have actually been a matter of conflation. The invasion of a deadly wasp on his bees' hives, which threatened Sidi's own livelihood and apparently the future of the whole region poses a serious problem-- maybe just as serious as the simultaneous storyline in which the region's neighborhoods and educational institutions become infiltrated by religious extremists? Until the very last minute, when Manai lines everything up, I wasn't sure how everything was supposed to connect. I didn't even think it related except by convenience of location.
Maybe the extended metaphor at work here needs another leg...or two...but the last couple scenes are fantastic and tie the book together beautifully. I did enjoy this book both for a great ending, and for the great research.
Do you remember how everyone squealed about how much they learned about beekeeping from THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES? Well. This book kind of shows that one way up!
Rating 3.5 stars
Finished August 2022
Recommended for fans of contemporary fiction; readers seeking diverse voices and stories
August Pick 2/10
52 Book Club Summer Genre Challenge: Other
52 Book Club 52 Book Challenge: set on at least 2 continents
*Follow my Instagram book blog for all my reviews, challenges, and book lists! http://www.instagram.com/donasbooks *