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A review by totesintobooks
Bird Summons by Leila Aboulela
5.0
If you’re into Sufi stories (or Sufisticated ones), this one’s for you! The content is as beautiful as the cover. Inspired by Farid Ud-din Attar’s The Conference of Birds (which I also love), Lela explores deeper realities of sins like adultery and disobedience towards our spouses born from humanity, dignity and strength and while these are qualities which outward seems good to the sinner it might not necessarily be so when it comes from our egos. Salma, Iman and Moni are three women struggling with their own sins trying to find the path back to redemption. There are many lessons that you can draw from the stories being told by the Hoopoe. You’ll also learn that it is about greed, laziness and despair over one’s circumstances.
“Remember it, though, when things become too difficult and your instinct is to scream out, that's not fair, that's not fair. Because more likely it is fair, even though by all accounts and appearances, it looks like nothing of the sort.”
To put the cherry on top, Lela wrote about trusting a guide and following a guide instead of relying on ourselves.
“'In every journey,' said the Hoopoe, ‘there comes a point, around three quarters of the way through, when the traveller, without a guide, can go no further. But not everyone finds a guide. Not everyone accepts a guide. Not everyone is convinced. Many would rather keep fumbling on their own, trying and trying again. They would rather risk not completing the journey, they would rather risk getting lost or content themselves with the advance already made, than follow in trust.'”
10/5⭐️ I probably won’t shut up about recommending this book and might just buy a physical copy for myself. LIKE HELLO I FOUND MY NEW FAV AUTHOR!!!
“Remember it, though, when things become too difficult and your instinct is to scream out, that's not fair, that's not fair. Because more likely it is fair, even though by all accounts and appearances, it looks like nothing of the sort.”
To put the cherry on top, Lela wrote about trusting a guide and following a guide instead of relying on ourselves.
“'In every journey,' said the Hoopoe, ‘there comes a point, around three quarters of the way through, when the traveller, without a guide, can go no further. But not everyone finds a guide. Not everyone accepts a guide. Not everyone is convinced. Many would rather keep fumbling on their own, trying and trying again. They would rather risk not completing the journey, they would rather risk getting lost or content themselves with the advance already made, than follow in trust.'”
10/5⭐️ I probably won’t shut up about recommending this book and might just buy a physical copy for myself. LIKE HELLO I FOUND MY NEW FAV AUTHOR!!!