A review by emsreadingdiary
Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.25

Short but heartbreaking. The first half of the book is so sickening you just want to get it over with. Not only is the issue at hand disgusting, but the symbolism and the detached mode of story-telling add something more that deepens the effect. The second half, set in the present day, you can feel the anxieties and the alienations of the female protagonist. The sense of being treated as an enemy in your own country is palpable, and the idea that we’ll cling to anything that connects us to our home, our people, our heritage, no matter how horrifyingly traumatic, is one that I feel like many can understand. 105 pages and all of them will make you reevaluate yourself and your life.
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