A review by medievalfantasyqueen
Salt Houses by Hala Alyan

emotional sad 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

5.0

If I could give this book 6 out of 5 stars, I would. It kept me up past midnight, shedding tears for each and every character, angry at how everything was so painfully articulated in a book published in 2017, and I look at the world today, and not a whisker of change has happened. The way memory and storytelling is weaved into the multi-generational narratives, each one functioning as a sort of short story on its own with the thread of Atef's letters and guilt pulling it together like a messy shawl falling apart... I am beyond stunned at the beauty of the story, the prose and the characters. A MUST READ.