A review by turtlebrainlibrarian
Salt Houses by Hala Alyan

emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

5.0

A debut multi-generational (four generations) story of a Palestinian family: the Yacoub family. The family doesn't talk much about Palestine but talk about being displaced and out of place as they move through Nablus, Kuwait, Amman, Paris, Beriut and Boston. Sometimes they move by choice, but sometimes they are uprooted by war (Six Day War of 1967 and Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990).
We are given the perspective of Salma (1963), Mustafa (1965), Alia (1967, 1988), Atef (1977, 2011), Riham (1982, 1999), Souad (1990, 2004), Linah (2006) and Manar (2014). Four generations of the Yacoub family, their ups and downs, their family dynamics, the generational trauma, the feeling of not fitting in, etc.

The writing is lyrical and easy to follow. You will find many wonderful quotes as you read the book. The narrative does jump between each character, but we do get to see those characters grow and change in the other perspectives, so they are well rounded. It is a character driven novel, which I enjoy.
Also, the author is a clinical psychologist who specializes in trauma, addiction and cross-cultural behavior. You can see elements of this knowledge throughout. 
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