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A review by lizbusby
Bird Summons by Leila Aboulela
4.0
This novel is difficult to categorize. It's some sort of speculative fiction, but is it magical realism or surrealism or religious fairy tale or something else entirely? Whatever it is, it's a fascinating story of three Muslim women in the UK who set out on an unusual pilgrimage and have a transformative experience along the way. You may want to familiarize yourself with The Conference of the Birds first, as the book draws a lot of its symbolism from it. I am not an expert on Islamic literature or theology by any stretch, but I am a religious person and I appreciated the way this book challenges the traditional narrative expectations.
Another caveat: the writing style is unusual, in that it switches back and forth between character's heads without giving a clear indication of who is thinking. This was somewhat confusing when listening to the audiobook, but the author does it so often that it's clear she's doing so intentionally. Just be prepared to put a little more work into paying attention than you might with a typical western novel and you should be good to go.
Read for Engl 450R.
Another caveat: the writing style is unusual, in that it switches back and forth between character's heads without giving a clear indication of who is thinking. This was somewhat confusing when listening to the audiobook, but the author does it so often that it's clear she's doing so intentionally. Just be prepared to put a little more work into paying attention than you might with a typical western novel and you should be good to go.
Read for Engl 450R.