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A review by sapphirebubble_
Each Of Us A Desert by Mark Oshiro
5.0
Find this review on my blog.
Each of Us a Desert won my heart solely by having one of most beautiful and lush prose imaginable. It instantly hooked me with its beckoning fingers, and I found myself standing next to Xochitl. When reading, the prose itself evoked a yearning so devious it could not be sated. I drank it in by the mouthfuls, and yet found myself still parched and hungry for more. Exactly how Xochitl feels, which makes sense because she is the one telling her own story. Only the recipient she intended it for is not the one listening.
The book is vivid in its imagery and emotions. And they are what seamlessly carry the book, through wild wastelands and sprawling cities. I immediately fell in love with the book because of its setting — an unending desert land, that is not seen as something despicable or savage; but it is home to many different villages and cities. I think that because of white, colonial gaze, we have all come to see deserts as wastelands where nothing but danger and death await. Some see them as useless swaths of land, unyielding and home to the "uncivilised". But Mark Oshiro changed that perception by populating their desert with people, guardians, gods and myths; something truly fascinating and beautiful, which is closer to the truth than any other portrayals of deserts that I have ever seen.
For me, reading this book was like watching one of those intense films in which the camera is focused on the main character's face and hands the entire time; with opportune cuts to these wide shots of their surroundings. What I mean by that is, the story is focused entirely on Xochitl and her emotions; but it manages to be scintillatingly atmospheric. This is a story about the journey, not the destination. You find yourself in the desert, facing the sweltering heat and with a parched throat, walking beside Xochitl; all because of the vivid descriptions of the characters' journey through many different parts of desert. Throughout her journey, Xochitl finds her beliefs and understanding of the world constantly challenged. How she reflects and interprets those challenges is what makes this book immensely delightful to read. You cannot peel your eyes off of this girl, whose world falls and rebuilds over and over again. I had seen some people say that even through a significant portion of the book, they couldn't gauge what Xochitl's characters is supposed to be like; and to them I say, that is the point! She is a blank slate, because that is what she was told to be. La cuentista, who holds everyone's stories inside her; but she shrunk her own down to accommodate others.
As someone who looks at religion and religious stories only from an interest point of view, Each of Us a Desert paints with most impressive brushstrokes. From its inception to its conclusion, the story deals with religious events and its various interpretations through Xochitl's lens. It challenges the readers perception of their own religious perceptions as well. The end that it reaches is glum, but somehow also soothing; probably because it is somewhat rooted in reality.
I also enjoyed the very subtle and beautiful slow-burn sapphic (f/f) romance this book interspersed through its pages. How the relationship between the characters constantly sifts in the sand — enemies, distrustful acquaintances, friends, people who understand each other intrinsicly, destined for each other. Although, I would have liked to see some more yearning and angst, especially with the point their relationship reaches at the end of the book.
The finale of this book is ambigous; or to be fair, open-ended. Which I think accurately reflects its theme of the journey being more important than the destination. However, we did reach a destination and learnt the harsh truth. A truth that reflects themes of colonisation and how it changed the landscape of colonised countries; that shows that the violence created by colonisers in a quest for power and riches begets more violence, because some of those oppressed seek that power too. It was a destination that changed everything; but the book doesn't end there. I understand that there is more to be said and resolved, and that Xochitl must journey back to her home; but the journey no longer holds that same allure, because we have already seen everything there is to see. Which is why, even though I understood the reason behind it, that return journey grated on my nerves.
Each of Us a Desert made me feel every emotion and experience every single grain of the desert sand, every crook of the mountain rock and every bead of sweat that formed on Xochitl's forehead. I highly recommend this book, not only for its lush prose and atmospheric setting; but for the deeper questions it asks of humanity and faith.
Find me elsewhere: Blog | BookTube | Instagram | Twitter | The Story Graph
Each of Us a Desert won my heart solely by having one of most beautiful and lush prose imaginable. It instantly hooked me with its beckoning fingers, and I found myself standing next to Xochitl. When reading, the prose itself evoked a yearning so devious it could not be sated. I drank it in by the mouthfuls, and yet found myself still parched and hungry for more. Exactly how Xochitl feels, which makes sense because she is the one telling her own story. Only the recipient she intended it for is not the one listening.
The book is vivid in its imagery and emotions. And they are what seamlessly carry the book, through wild wastelands and sprawling cities. I immediately fell in love with the book because of its setting — an unending desert land, that is not seen as something despicable or savage; but it is home to many different villages and cities. I think that because of white, colonial gaze, we have all come to see deserts as wastelands where nothing but danger and death await. Some see them as useless swaths of land, unyielding and home to the "uncivilised". But Mark Oshiro changed that perception by populating their desert with people, guardians, gods and myths; something truly fascinating and beautiful, which is closer to the truth than any other portrayals of deserts that I have ever seen.
For me, reading this book was like watching one of those intense films in which the camera is focused on the main character's face and hands the entire time; with opportune cuts to these wide shots of their surroundings. What I mean by that is, the story is focused entirely on Xochitl and her emotions; but it manages to be scintillatingly atmospheric. This is a story about the journey, not the destination. You find yourself in the desert, facing the sweltering heat and with a parched throat, walking beside Xochitl; all because of the vivid descriptions of the characters' journey through many different parts of desert. Throughout her journey, Xochitl finds her beliefs and understanding of the world constantly challenged. How she reflects and interprets those challenges is what makes this book immensely delightful to read. You cannot peel your eyes off of this girl, whose world falls and rebuilds over and over again. I had seen some people say that even through a significant portion of the book, they couldn't gauge what Xochitl's characters is supposed to be like; and to them I say, that is the point! She is a blank slate, because that is what she was told to be. La cuentista, who holds everyone's stories inside her; but she shrunk her own down to accommodate others.
As someone who looks at religion and religious stories only from an interest point of view, Each of Us a Desert paints with most impressive brushstrokes. From its inception to its conclusion, the story deals with religious events and its various interpretations through Xochitl's lens. It challenges the readers perception of their own religious perceptions as well. The end that it reaches is glum, but somehow also soothing; probably because it is somewhat rooted in reality.
I also enjoyed the very subtle and beautiful slow-burn sapphic (f/f) romance this book interspersed through its pages. How the relationship between the characters constantly sifts in the sand — enemies, distrustful acquaintances, friends, people who understand each other intrinsicly, destined for each other. Although, I would have liked to see some more yearning and angst, especially with the point their relationship reaches at the end of the book.
The finale of this book is ambigous; or to be fair, open-ended. Which I think accurately reflects its theme of the journey being more important than the destination. However, we did reach a destination and learnt the harsh truth. A truth that reflects themes of colonisation and how it changed the landscape of colonised countries; that shows that the violence created by colonisers in a quest for power and riches begets more violence, because some of those oppressed seek that power too. It was a destination that changed everything; but the book doesn't end there. I understand that there is more to be said and resolved, and that Xochitl must journey back to her home; but the journey no longer holds that same allure, because we have already seen everything there is to see. Which is why, even though I understood the reason behind it, that return journey grated on my nerves.
Each of Us a Desert made me feel every emotion and experience every single grain of the desert sand, every crook of the mountain rock and every bead of sweat that formed on Xochitl's forehead. I highly recommend this book, not only for its lush prose and atmospheric setting; but for the deeper questions it asks of humanity and faith.
Find me elsewhere: Blog | BookTube | Instagram | Twitter | The Story Graph