A review by libraryoflanelle
They Fell Like Stars from the Sky and Other Stories by Sheikha Helawy

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-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? No

4.5

"They Fell Like Stars from the Sky and Other Stories" was written by Sheikha Helawy and translated by Nancy Roberts.

I learned so much about a culture I previously had no knowledge of, which is genuinely one of my favourite aspects of reading. I am incredibly grateful to Sheikha for telling these painful and powerful stories.

I found this collection of stories incredibly accessible to read and learn from, as the storytelling is done in such a poignant and impactful way. This is even more impressive when considering how short many of the stories are, some are only one page long! Something that really stood out to me in this collection was the contradictory finality and openness of the last line of each story. I found that each last line almost told a whole story in and of itself. 

I will say that I found some of the stories equally as confusing as they were intriguing, but that didn’t take away from those that made a little more sense to me. The beauty of a short story collection is that stories can ebb and flow, and every reader will find something of meaning in a varying assortment of stories.

I would recommend this book widely, but recommend checking content warnings as always, as this collection addresses a multitude of painful topics and experiences.

My favourite stories in the collection were: "I'll Be There," "The Door to the Body," "The Day My Donkey Died," and "God Bless Toun Field!"

I know that these stories and their reflections on girlhood and womanhood in a patriarchal community will definitely stick with me.
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