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A review by elwirax
From Dust, A Flame by Rebecca Podos
dark
emotional
medium-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? Yes
3.5
Rep: Jewish, lesbian LI, Queer MC, Gay MC with ADHD, non binary side character.
At first I wasn't very invested in the magical realism aspect of this book but I stayed for the quest to retrace ones cultural roots and the complicated family dynamics following 3 generations of women. I'm really glad I did because <b>From Dust, A Flame</b> was an enjoyable and simultaneously heartbreaking tale.
This was my first book by Podos which made me reluctant as I have not experienced her writing style, yet, I really enjoyed how emersive and atmospheric her story telling was.
From Dust, a Flame was a great blend of the fantastical with the mundane. There are elements of Jewish lore such as the Golem mixed with mundane struggles such as academic pressure. I think Podos balanced both these aspects well. I absolutely adored the centralisation ofJewish celebrations and folklore in this book, (although, I cannot comment how true to reality the representation is).
There was interesting commentary on generational trauma and how the lives of family members intertwine which I really enjoyed. It was heartbreaking hearing about Jitka losing her whole family to the war and how this in turn impacted her children's lives. The theme of isolation and lack of communication was done well and explored through these strained family ties.
I though that Hannah and Gabe shared an amazing sibling relationship and I loved that they were eachother's main support. There was also LGBTQIA+ rep which was fantastic.
However, I do have some small nit picks. Firstly, Gabe's transformation at the start was extremely sudden and a bit annoying in the sense that it was very stereotypical in the portrayal of gay people. There was also a lot of characters and family members mentioned which got really difficult to follow despite the family tree provided. Most of these didn't receive any major characterisation which made it seem like the author included them for the sake of doing so. Some aspects felt underbaked such as the Golem who unfortunately didn't serve much of a purpose throughout the story but was an interesting addition. I also didn't think the ending was particularly effective, it seemed a bit too easy and wrapped up quickly.
Overall, I quite enjoyed From Dust, a Flame and will definitely pick up more from Podos in the future.
At first I wasn't very invested in the magical realism aspect of this book but I stayed for the quest to retrace ones cultural roots and the complicated family dynamics following 3 generations of women. I'm really glad I did because <b>From Dust, A Flame</b> was an enjoyable and simultaneously heartbreaking tale.
This was my first book by Podos which made me reluctant as I have not experienced her writing style, yet, I really enjoyed how emersive and atmospheric her story telling was.
From Dust, a Flame was a great blend of the fantastical with the mundane. There are elements of Jewish lore such as the Golem mixed with mundane struggles such as academic pressure. I think Podos balanced both these aspects well. I absolutely adored the centralisation ofJewish celebrations and folklore in this book, (although, I cannot comment how true to reality the representation is).
There was interesting commentary on generational trauma and how the lives of family members intertwine which I really enjoyed. It was heartbreaking hearing about Jitka losing her whole family to the war and how this in turn impacted her children's lives. The theme of isolation and lack of communication was done well and explored through these strained family ties.
I though that Hannah and Gabe shared an amazing sibling relationship and I loved that they were eachother's main support. There was also LGBTQIA+ rep which was fantastic.
However, I do have some small nit picks. Firstly, Gabe's transformation at the start was extremely sudden and a bit annoying in the sense that it was very stereotypical in the portrayal of gay people. There was also a lot of characters and family members mentioned which got really difficult to follow despite the family tree provided. Most of these didn't receive any major characterisation which made it seem like the author included them for the sake of doing so. Some aspects felt underbaked such as the Golem who unfortunately didn't serve much of a purpose throughout the story but was an interesting addition. I also didn't think the ending was particularly effective, it seemed a bit too easy and wrapped up quickly.
Overall, I quite enjoyed From Dust, a Flame and will definitely pick up more from Podos in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Abandonment, and Death of parent
Minor: Confinement, Antisemitism, and War