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A review by thessilian
Bird Summons by Leila Aboulela
4.0
Salma, Moni and Iman are three women from diverse backgrounds who met at their local Muslim Women’s Group. They have a variety of cultural differences, educations and marriages, yet each has found themselves at a critical moment in their life.
Salma loves her husband and family but misses the respect of being a doctor and her uncomplicated teenage crush. Moni cares for her disabled son Adam while her husband works abroad, wanting to brush Adam away as a mistake. Iman is the youngest and most traditionally attractive. She is on her third husband, someone who doesn’t care for her, only lusts after her. She is dependent and unhappy.
Together they plan on a trip to Scotland to visit the grave of a Scottish convert. It’s a long journey that fractures their friendships, causes them anxiety and doubt and finally allow them to change and grow.
While their faith is important to them and the story, their issues are easy to understand. Salma’s nostalgia for a better time, for young love, for a glut of opportunities versus harsh realities is surely familiar to anyone. Moni struggles with her responsibilities to her child versus her time with her husband. All she wants is the best for Adam, even if it destroys her marriage. Iman just wants to be seen, to be known, to be loved for who she is, not what she looks like.
Using a mix of realism and magical elements, Bird Summons takes the reader with the women on their journey. The Hoopoe, the titular bird, guides them through what feels like pure fairy tales towards an entrancing and beautiful conclusion.
Salma loves her husband and family but misses the respect of being a doctor and her uncomplicated teenage crush. Moni cares for her disabled son Adam while her husband works abroad, wanting to brush Adam away as a mistake. Iman is the youngest and most traditionally attractive. She is on her third husband, someone who doesn’t care for her, only lusts after her. She is dependent and unhappy.
Together they plan on a trip to Scotland to visit the grave of a Scottish convert. It’s a long journey that fractures their friendships, causes them anxiety and doubt and finally allow them to change and grow.
While their faith is important to them and the story, their issues are easy to understand. Salma’s nostalgia for a better time, for young love, for a glut of opportunities versus harsh realities is surely familiar to anyone. Moni struggles with her responsibilities to her child versus her time with her husband. All she wants is the best for Adam, even if it destroys her marriage. Iman just wants to be seen, to be known, to be loved for who she is, not what she looks like.
Using a mix of realism and magical elements, Bird Summons takes the reader with the women on their journey. The Hoopoe, the titular bird, guides them through what feels like pure fairy tales towards an entrancing and beautiful conclusion.