Scan barcode
A review by greyemk
The Last Pomegranate Tree by Bachtyar Ali
5.0
This is about fatherhood, secrets, commitments, and violence. It’s an incredibly emotional story of youth and brotherhood, of a father’s journey, and simultaneously a parable about country, violence, and selfhood. It’s about loss and grief and how humans keep living anyways, remembering.
I loved this. The plot - the attempt to answer the question “who is Saryas-i Subhdam” - kept momentum through the book, but the characters really shine. Muzafar is an excellent narrator, with dogged determination, the perspective of 21 years in prison, and an ability to notice the key traits in other and let them shine. Even the villains and the criminals get their say. He understands people.
Though horrible things happen here, it’s not a book about terror. It’s a book about hope and persistence and connection. About optimism.
Hope to see more of Ali’s work in English !
I loved this. The plot - the attempt to answer the question “who is Saryas-i Subhdam” - kept momentum through the book, but the characters really shine. Muzafar is an excellent narrator, with dogged determination, the perspective of 21 years in prison, and an ability to notice the key traits in other and let them shine. Even the villains and the criminals get their say. He understands people.
Though horrible things happen here, it’s not a book about terror. It’s a book about hope and persistence and connection. About optimism.
Hope to see more of Ali’s work in English !