You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
3.5 stars. Some parts of this book worked better for me than others. I appreciated how she connected an old story with a more current story. The "modern" story was a bit hard to believe at times (the fact that everything happened to them, and yet they survived). However, I did learn about some things that I did not know, which I'm guessing was part of the point of the author.
This is a book written with a specific objective in mind. The author, a Syrian American, is writing for those like himself who want to answer some of the questions about their heritage raised by the conflict and refugee crisis in Syria, as well as to heighten awareness among others, whose only knowledge of the situation comes from unrelentingly gloomy news reportage. The novel is structured with two parallel tales: one a fantasy à la Arabian Nights around the real life character of Al-Idrisi which focuses on the heroine Rawiya, who becomes his assistant; she is a role model for the protagonist of the other the story, Nour, the youngest of three sisters, who with their mother flee from Homs when their home is destroyed, through Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Algeria to Morocco. At times, the parallelism feels forced, and those more familiar with the historical character, Al-Idrisi, might resent some of the liberties taken in enmeshing him in a fantastical narrative. The story of Nour also stretches belief for those who are aware of the current realities in the countries traversed, particularly during Ramadan, when the story starts. But this novel was not written with such an audience in mind.
The very unreality of the stories is what strengthens the message of hope. In an interview, the author has said, “We have so much that we cannot lose if we remember where we come from and that we still have each other. Our loved ones and our heritage and our history are never lost. When we come together in community and tell our stories, we are never alone.” If he succeeds in comforting those who have lost and in raising empathy among those who were less aware of the tragedy of the Syrian refugee crisis, much has been achieved.
One specific, very enjoyable, aspect of the book is the description of Nour’s intense sensory perception, early on in Homs:
“Inside, the walls breathe sumac and sigh out the tang of olives. Oil and fat sizzle in a pan, popping in yellow and black bursts in my ears. The colors of voices and smells tangle in front of me like they’re projected on a screen: the peaks and curves of Huda’s pink-and -purple laugh, the brick-red ping of a kitchen timer, the green bite of baking yeast.”
Later in Libya:
“The hallways are caked in the brown-red stink of brakes.”
There are many other examples which add a peculiar intensity to Nour's story, making it especially memorable. Like the author, Nour has synesthesia, a neurological condition that causes the brain to process data in the form of several senses at once.
This is a creditable first novel, which whets the appetite for more.
The very unreality of the stories is what strengthens the message of hope. In an interview, the author has said, “We have so much that we cannot lose if we remember where we come from and that we still have each other. Our loved ones and our heritage and our history are never lost. When we come together in community and tell our stories, we are never alone.” If he succeeds in comforting those who have lost and in raising empathy among those who were less aware of the tragedy of the Syrian refugee crisis, much has been achieved.
One specific, very enjoyable, aspect of the book is the description of Nour’s intense sensory perception, early on in Homs:
“Inside, the walls breathe sumac and sigh out the tang of olives. Oil and fat sizzle in a pan, popping in yellow and black bursts in my ears. The colors of voices and smells tangle in front of me like they’re projected on a screen: the peaks and curves of Huda’s pink-and -purple laugh, the brick-red ping of a kitchen timer, the green bite of baking yeast.”
Later in Libya:
“The hallways are caked in the brown-red stink of brakes.”
There are many other examples which add a peculiar intensity to Nour's story, making it especially memorable. Like the author, Nour has synesthesia, a neurological condition that causes the brain to process data in the form of several senses at once.
This is a creditable first novel, which whets the appetite for more.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is an engaging, delightful adventure fantasy, with unique twists and turns. I adored this book
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
slow-paced
Although this book was not presented as YA, I tagged it as such because the protagonist is a 12-year-old girl and the alternative protagonist is a 16-year-old girl. Set against the backdrop of the Arab Spring, this story is really about family and history and hope. Although Nour and her family's movements are necessarily dictated by the unrest, her thoughts and feelings [and Rawiya's story] seem to exist on another plane.
Well that's fine, I wasn't using my heart anyway. Thank you, Zeyn Joukhadar, for ripping it into pieces. At least you were kind enough to stitch it back up along the way too, tears and all.
Where do I begin?
Nour is an incredible narrator - you are there with her every step of the way through every horror and joy, and the reader has to look with her. You can't gloss over the atrocities, the crisis of her family and in Syria. It is intense, and it's supposed to be. But you are also there for the wonders - the stars, the warm moments of love, and Nour's strength and hope. She had a rich inner life that authors sometimes struggle to give to child narrators.
The intertwined storylines work perfectly together in guiding the reader through the subtle winding of both girls' journeys. The story of Rawiya and al-Idrisi helps to both ground and lift the contemporary story - there's a touch more humor and magic on this side of time that would have felt wrong with Nour, but keeps you enthralled through the harder reading. I loved the magical realism. I admired Rawiya's cleverness and bravery. Rawiya's story has more neat edges to balance the complexity of Nour's. The current of love and friendship reaching through time, to me, made both stories feel more real. Hope feeds hope.
And I haven't even gotten to the fact that Joukhadar's descriptive writing is stunning. I mean wow. So many beautiful quotes and settings and turns of phrase. I will read this again, after time passes. More importantly, I took note of some of the suggested reading at the end, both for historical curiosity and to seek out more works by Syrians.
Definitely in my top 5 of the year. Worth every tear and jaw clench.
Where do I begin?
Nour is an incredible narrator - you are there with her every step of the way through every horror and joy, and the reader has to look with her. You can't gloss over the atrocities, the crisis of her family and in Syria. It is intense, and it's supposed to be. But you are also there for the wonders - the stars, the warm moments of love, and Nour's strength and hope. She had a rich inner life that authors sometimes struggle to give to child narrators.
The intertwined storylines work perfectly together in guiding the reader through the subtle winding of both girls' journeys. The story of Rawiya and al-Idrisi helps to both ground and lift the contemporary story - there's a touch more humor and magic on this side of time that would have felt wrong with Nour, but keeps you enthralled through the harder reading. I loved the magical realism. I admired Rawiya's cleverness and bravery. Rawiya's story has more neat edges to balance the complexity of Nour's. The current of love and friendship reaching through time, to me, made both stories feel more real. Hope feeds hope.
And I haven't even gotten to the fact that Joukhadar's descriptive writing is stunning. I mean wow. So many beautiful quotes and settings and turns of phrase. I will read this again, after time passes. More importantly, I took note of some of the suggested reading at the end, both for historical curiosity and to seek out more works by Syrians.
Definitely in my top 5 of the year. Worth every tear and jaw clench.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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:
No
emotional
hopeful
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:
No
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced