A review by jochno
Bird Summons by Leila Aboulela

4.0

Leila Aboulela has a remarkable skill for communicating the internal life of her characters and the book's best points are when we are plunged most deeply into the sometimes circular, inane but never dull trains of thought that drive, Moni, Iman and Salma. I have to admit though I was caught slightly off-guard by the book's shift from realism to magical realism over the last fifty or so pages and it ended up detracting somewhat from what came before. There were signs that the strange might be lurking round the corner but judging from the reviews I am not the only one who was caught by surprise!