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nklimczak's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, and Slavery
Moderate: Murder, Death, and Rape
Minor: Child death, Animal death, Religious bigotry, and Gun violence
kittykels's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.0
This book starts out interesting. I loved the writing and descriptions and the various points of view. However, eventually, it feels like even though there's technically some progression happening, the chapters feel like the same thing over and over again, which, to me, was boring. Perhaps I would have had an easier time keeping interest if there had been a few fewer narrators.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Death, Slavery, and Violence
alipp's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Dark & heavy story but beautifully written. I really got sucked in to their world & needed to know what happened next. A super complex story, not sure who to root for. But I’m glad I read it, it’s really my first time reading & learning much about Sudan’s history and I’m interested to learn more
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, Slavery, Murder, and War
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Rape
puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, War, Violence, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Gun violence, Murder, Colonisation, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Death of parent, Racism, Trafficking, Sexual violence, and Confinement
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Pregnancy
beancity's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Grief, Sexual violence, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, War, Colonisation, Hate crime, Death, Blood, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Violence, Torture, Pregnancy, and Murder
serendipitysbooks's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I found River Spirit to be a thoroughly absorbing piece of literary historical fiction. It is set in late nineteenth century Sudan, a pivotal point in the country’s history. The Ottoman Empire, of which Sudan was part, was beginning to crumble, a revolutionary leader, a self-proclaimed Mahdi or Islamic redeemer, was rising to power, while Britain was attempting to exert its control in the region. Set against this fascinating socio-political background is the coming of age story of Akuany, later renamed Zamzam, who is orphaned, taken in by a merchant friend of her father but later sold into slavery by his family. The story was well-told if challenging with seven different points of view to piece together as well as unfolding in a non-chronological manner. Thankfully I felt my effort was well rewarded and I enjoyed the parallels of a young woman struggling for her freedom and independence alongside a country doing the same. Themes such as religious tension both within Islam and between Islam and Christianity, the position of women in society, and colonisation were all explored in satisfying ways. An interesting story researched well and told well, and one which has the virtue of being fresh and unfamiliar - at least to most western readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Slavery, War, and Racism
just_one_more_paige's review
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A few years ago, Aboulela's name popped up on a reading challenge list I saw, as a "read a book by this author" prompt. And I don't actually do many reading challenges (because I'm so much of a mood reader), but I love looking through prompts to get ideas. I looked into her body of work and added a few to my TBR, but as per usual...too many books and not enough time. A few weeks ago though, I checked this one in at the library and, when there were no holds on it, decided to, finally, read Aboulela.
When Akuany and her infant brother, Bol, are orphaned in a raid on their village in southern Sudan, a traveling merchant named Yaseen takes responsibility for them. Over the next few years, as Yaseen leaves the family business to study in Cairo, Bol is adopted by his sister, and Akuany is sold as a house slave to an influential family within the colonial government system. As the years pass, this novel follows these three characters, though with a focus on Yaseen and Akuany and the bond they share, as the (self-proclaimed) redeemer of Islam and revolutionary leader, the Mahdi, rises to power and Sudan begins to fight against the Ottoman rule. As our characters are forced to choose a side, neither of which is above reproach, and the choosing splinters families and relationships. As the novel unfolds, we are also given chapters from the perspectives of Musa (a believer and follower of the false Mahdi), Robert (a Scottish artist and employee for an international ship-building company), Charles Gordon (a British general sent to bring Sudan under the rule of the British empire), and Salha (a wife of Yaseen).
For a novel with such heavy and complex themes - emotionally, politically, theologically - this was such a lyrically written work of literary art. Aboulela brings the spirit of Sudan, its land and its people, alive. Even with such a focus on the upheavals of war and of leadership changes, no matter which side a person is on or what societal role they have, there is still something about the writing and storytelling style that makes this novel seem ethereal, rather than traumatic. Each character is written and developed with care and authenticity. There is such nuance in their individual hopes, attitudes, biases, frustrations. They are all just so human. And in that, whether they would traditionally/historically be considered a heroine, an antagonist, or something else, not a single one was fully unlikable, even as the criticisms and irredeemable characteristics are never given excuses. Truly a masterclass in that sense.
This is such a culturally different read for me. I have read quite a few works by African and Muslim authors, but perhaps never in combination like that? And definitely not in this historical context. And y'all, that is why I love reading. Like, how else would you be able to get exposed to all of this? I mean travel is great, but you can only go so many places with the time you have, and of course traveling through time to get different historical perspectives is (as of yet) impossible. And so: reading. Anyways, I was especially fascinated reading about the different cultural and religious practices around marriage and divorce. And just in general, the intricacies of different family relations and responsibilities. It was also totally new to me to read a novel about a country at the crux of independence from one empire (Ottoman) and the potential onset of another (British), while they try to balance the natural yearning/fight for independence with the (for some) discomfort of supporting an internally rising leader that goes against (or really, flies in the face and deeply takes advantage of) their belief system. The complexity of this political situation was related in a perfectly nuanced, and yet truly accessible way. And I thank Aboulela for being willing to do that work, provide that knowledge, to this previously unaware reader.
I also could not help but notice the many ways this story is so recognizable, so universal, despite how different the day to day lives of the characters were from my own. First, the way a charismatic man preys on the uneducated or those needing a hope to cling to (especially with using religious rhetoric and belief manipulation), is a pattern so familiar, a tale old as time. Although it is complicated by imperialism and colonization and the rightful organization to resist, the turn that style of leadership takes in sparking extremism is frighteningly familiar, in an array of present day conflicts and regions. Just a wonderful representation of regular people during big moments, and how that is both unique to a place and time, like this moment in Sudanese history, and yet also rings of universality.
What an introduction to Aboulela's writing this was! I can see why she receives so much praise, and agree with it wholeheartedly. Although pacing-wise this is the type of novel I have to be careful to read when I'm in the right mood (I appreciate lyrical writing, but it can feel too slow to me if I'm not ready for it), I will be keeping other works by Aboulela in mind for those times, as her writing is stunning and representative and unearths so much of the people and history and traditions and nature of Sudan.
“Injustice causes the kind of damage that perpetuates itself.”
“I am not questioning his visions. They are his, but they are his alone. He has no right to extrapolate laws from them. Dreams are not evidence.”
“Fighting an enemy is always easier than governing human complexity.”
“Is that not what life is? We are entrusted with health or security or wealth or position or family or skills or children or all these things and then expected to do our best.”
"The layman always expects us to answer in binaries - halal or haram, permissible or impermissible. Whereas there are shades - what is mukrah, disliked or nonpreferable, and even more subcategories. [...] So, what should one do? The answer is to choose life. Keep your faith within your heart even if your tongue is forced to say otherwise. Flee if you can. If you cannot, live in the hope of better circumstances."
“But religion was only the outer shell, powerful slogans to attract the poor and illiterate. Shining rhetoric to whip up support.”
“We are an independent country. That is the result of all the bloodshed. I might have mixed feelings about the methods used to achieve this, but one can never defend foreign occupation. Independence is natural and just.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, Colonisation, War, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Violence
Minor: Religious bigotry and Gun violence
lianne_rooney's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Racism, Child death, Violence, Colonisation, and War
tigger89's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I picked this book up because it was concerned with a period of history that, while I vaguely knew of, I had never studied or read about. From my limited knowledge, I believe the author did an excellent job of presenting the situation, explaining the hows and whys of the conflict and how different populations were affected as events played out. She certainly seems to have put in the effort to research the historical period, to the point of including some suggested sources in her acknowledgements.
Her choice to tell the story through many perspectives — Akuany, Yaseen, Yaseen's mother, a Mahdist revolutionary, a Scottish painter living in Khartoum during its siege, the British General Charles Gordon, and a few others as an epilogue — was a risky gamble that paid off. I found each voice to be unique, and the author's varied choice of person — first, third, or the one-off second — only enhanced the effect. I don't think the author could have adequately handled the portrayal of a family, both born and found, split across ideological lines without including so many different viewpoints. I also enjoyed the places, particularly the emotions they evoked in each character. Thinking back to my reading experience, I recall less the visuals of each location and more the way the characters reacted to them, particularly in the instances where characters perceived the same location differently.
Something that might be difficult for some readers is that the story isn't told entirely linearly. Sometimes one character will narrate a period of several months, and then we'll skip back and see the same period from different perspectives. Fortunately the dates covered are listed at the front of each chapter, but if you have a poor head for that or if you're listening to audio and can't easily flip back to check, you might find yourself temporally confused at a few points.
This book would be a solid 4 star rating if it wasn't for one plot element. Yes, I'm going to complain about the romance. I personally find "all grown up"-type romances, where an adult meets a child and then 10~ years later they get together, to be extremely squick. Even in the best of circumstances there's so much psychologically that's potentially messed up there, and this novel was not the best of circumstances! So, needless to say this romance did not do it for me(and for a very specific reason, this time), but YKINMK and maybe it'll do it for you.
Her choice to tell the story through many perspectives — Akuany, Yaseen, Yaseen's mother, a Mahdist revolutionary, a Scottish painter living in Khartoum during its siege, the British General Charles Gordon, and a few others as an epilogue — was a risky gamble that paid off. I found each voice to be unique, and the author's varied choice of person — first, third, or the one-off second — only enhanced the effect. I don't think the author could have adequately handled the portrayal of a family, both born and found, split across ideological lines without including so many different viewpoints. I also enjoyed the places, particularly the emotions they evoked in each character. Thinking back to my reading experience, I recall less the visuals of each location and more the way the characters reacted to them, particularly in the instances where characters perceived the same location differently.
Something that might be difficult for some readers is that the story isn't told entirely linearly. Sometimes one character will narrate a period of several months, and then we'll skip back and see the same period from different perspectives. Fortunately the dates covered are listed at the front of each chapter, but if you have a poor head for that or if you're listening to audio and can't easily flip back to check, you might find yourself temporally confused at a few points.
This book would be a solid 4 star rating if it wasn't for one plot element. Yes, I'm going to complain about the romance. I personally find "all grown up"-type romances, where an adult meets a child and then 10~ years later they get together, to be extremely squick. Even in the best of circumstances there's so much psychologically that's potentially messed up there, and this novel was not the best of circumstances! So, needless to say this romance did not do it for me(and for a very specific reason, this time), but YKINMK and maybe it'll do it for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Violence, War, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Rape, Colonisation, Death of parent, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
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