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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
My favorite pieces of literature teach me about unfamiliar human stories or something new about familiar ones, often with a dose of melancholy about how little of life we control and how often circumstances challenge our ability to cope or adapt. The very best may also include a story filled with adventure or mystery or joie de vivre that give greater meaning to life even in the face of such circumstances. This novel presents two such adventures, told in alternating snapshots that trace a parallel geographic journey of young women and their companions through the Levant and North Africa. Though separated by centuries, Nour finds comfort in chaos from retracing the steps familiar to her through the legendary story’s tireless retelling by her father before he died.
Fleeing Syria on the cusp of civil war when violence emerges to perfunctorily erase their home, Nour and her family travel through Damascus, Amman, across the Red Sea to Cairo and Benghazi and beyond all in search of somewhere safe to call home. Throughout their journey we are treated to the thoughtful and creative way that Nour looks at her world, filled with beautifully-crafted metaphors fitting for a child seeking to make sense of the unfamiliar feelings and situations that life as a refugee presents. The prose is beautiful and stirring, evoking the familial bonds that secure Nour to the idea of home and also bringing the brave Rawia and her companions to life as they face down armies, snakes, and giant mythical birds of prey. Nour is shaped by her memories of her father and by the relationships she forms on the road, and her impressions are greatly influenced by her childlike understanding of the Arabic language - having grown up in Manhattan and only recently moved back to Homs. This fresh perspective is shared by most readers, who gain insight into her experiences through Nour’s fresh eyes.
This was a pleasure to read and travel with Nour as she grew into adulthood and learned about love, home, and cherishing moments of comfort and kindness. I very much hope Ms. Joukhadar gives us many more such stories.
Fleeing Syria on the cusp of civil war when violence emerges to perfunctorily erase their home, Nour and her family travel through Damascus, Amman, across the Red Sea to Cairo and Benghazi and beyond all in search of somewhere safe to call home. Throughout their journey we are treated to the thoughtful and creative way that Nour looks at her world, filled with beautifully-crafted metaphors fitting for a child seeking to make sense of the unfamiliar feelings and situations that life as a refugee presents. The prose is beautiful and stirring, evoking the familial bonds that secure Nour to the idea of home and also bringing the brave Rawia and her companions to life as they face down armies, snakes, and giant mythical birds of prey. Nour is shaped by her memories of her father and by the relationships she forms on the road, and her impressions are greatly influenced by her childlike understanding of the Arabic language - having grown up in Manhattan and only recently moved back to Homs. This fresh perspective is shared by most readers, who gain insight into her experiences through Nour’s fresh eyes.
This was a pleasure to read and travel with Nour as she grew into adulthood and learned about love, home, and cherishing moments of comfort and kindness. I very much hope Ms. Joukhadar gives us many more such stories.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Two epic journeys through the Middle East separated by more than 800 years. For me the contemporary experience of Nour and her family as they must leave war-torn Syria was the more compelling in this historical fiction. I loved how she told of her experiences through synesthesia, which enabled her to find her way to safety.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
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
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A timely and timeless story, young girls as adventurers, who accept the help of men, but don’t rely on it. The author’s beautiful use of language paints a world of wonder and conflict, describing the Muslim world as one of curiosity and beauty - such a welcome change. The Syria of today is connected to the land of the past in a way that we in the US cannot fully understand. The magical realism is quite at home here in the 9th century as well as in both girls lives.
What a beautiful read. The author intertwines two stories, one as ancient as all times with one very real and recent. While the ancient story acts as background, the current story details one family, fleeing as refugees. Both stories detail a journey of the heart as well as a physical journey, and maps figure prominently in both. Incredible read.
An extremely brutal, gutwrenching story of a family torn apart first by cancer, then by continents, then by war. A story about stories, and how we are the songs we sing to ourselves, and have sung back to us.
CONTENT WARNING:
Things to love:
-The reminders that Syria is more than a news clip. It was lovely to hear the beautiful parts of somewhere, even if right now it is a sad place.
-The helpers and family. The family ties, the people who do what they can for others out of goodness is lovely.
-The map story. Just lovely.
-The synesthesia. I never see this in books! A cool aspect to latch onto.
Things that were hard.
-Well, it's still a war. It's just unending bad stuff happening. I found this hard to read but not in a way that made me think new thoughts or examine old ones. It was just hard. And that's valid, but it did make reading difficult to pick up. And the number of boats that sink is really extraordinary.
-Not sure the painting was finished. I saw the shape of it, but I'm not entirely sure it all meshed together for me in a satisfying way, and was therefore a wee bit hard to understand sometimes.
A dolorous coming of age story with a lot of heart.
CONTENT WARNING:
Spoiler
all of them. Dead animals, dead people, crippled children, rape/assault, boats sinking, torture, cancer, amputation, separation from your children/parent.Things to love:
-The reminders that Syria is more than a news clip. It was lovely to hear the beautiful parts of somewhere, even if right now it is a sad place.
-The helpers and family. The family ties, the people who do what they can for others out of goodness is lovely.
-The map story. Just lovely.
-The synesthesia. I never see this in books! A cool aspect to latch onto.
Things that were hard.
-Well, it's still a war. It's just unending bad stuff happening. I found this hard to read but not in a way that made me think new thoughts or examine old ones. It was just hard. And that's valid, but it did make reading difficult to pick up. And the number of boats that sink is really extraordinary.
-Not sure the painting was finished. I saw the shape of it, but I'm not entirely sure it all meshed together for me in a satisfying way, and was therefore a wee bit hard to understand sometimes.
A dolorous coming of age story with a lot of heart.
Of all the books I've read this year (aside from maaaaaayyyybe [b:A Little Life|22822858|A Little Life|Hanya Yanagihara|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1446469353l/22822858._SY75_.jpg|42375710]) this book probably hit me the hardest. It's one thing to see the stories of Syrian refugees fighting their way to survival, but to read an incredibly up close and personal story told from the point of view of a young girl added just another visceral element to an already difficult story. I encourage you to give this book a chance and give it a read. I can guarantee you'll finish it with a slight ache in your heart and a new perspective on those who are less fortunate.
Ok, so what happens? It's 2011 and Nour is still reeling from the death of her father. In order to escape the memories of her husband, Nour's mother packs up her family (Nour and her two sisters) and moves across the world to Syria to be closer to family. It is there that tragedy strikes. A shell destroys Nour's house as they are sitting down to dinner and sets off a trek across seven different countries to safety in North Africa.
Alongside Nour's modern day journey, she recalls a story her father once told her. The story of Rawiya, the apprentice to al-Idrisi, the renowned mapmaker. Rawiya's journey is identical to Nour's and their struggles are eerily similar. Drawing power from Rawiya's story as well as the strength of her sisters, mother, and all the things she lost along the way Nour's story is one that will stick with you years after you've put the book down.
Ok, so what did I think? This book is heartbreaking in so many ways. Nour, a girl who has already lost so much in the death of her father, continues to lose those closest around her and the safety and comfort she had grown up with. I think Joukhadar did such a great job writing the utter confusion in those first few minutes after the shell drops and continues to write beautiful passages about the struggles Nour's family has to endure.
This book isn't some Hollywood adapted version of the Syrian refugee crisis where some muscly white guy from America swoops in and brings them to safety, but a story that feels real from the beginning. There is no plot armor for any character aside from Nour because the danger in their trek from Syria to North Africa is full of dangers. Trigger warnings for those who need them - her eldest sister is assaulted and nearly raped in the confusion after the blast and almost dies as a result of shrapnel. Probably the most heartbreaking character of all is the man Nour considers to be a second father. Most of the story leading up to the blast discusses the fact that he has not reconciled with his son and you hope that, after the blast, he and his son will find each other with a new perspective on what it is to lose those you love, but as I said - no character has plot armor.
This photo of Syria was taken from a History article which details all of Syria's complicated history. Read more about it on the History website
Alongside this harrowing tale of danger, Nour tells the reader the story of Rawiya - a girl who joins mapmaker al-Idrisi disguised as a boy to travel the world and help al-Idrisi create an accurate map for King Roger II of Sicily. She travels the same path that Nour does and faces many of the same dangers as well as some that are out of this world. It's easy to see how Rawiya's story overlaps with Nour's especially in how the two young girls draw their courage in times of fear and how they learn to continue on despite the odds stacked against them.
Several of the other reviewers on Goodreads have said that this book is a great wake up call to those who don't quite understand the perspective of Nour and I wholeheartedly agree. I cannot even imagine fighting my way across the United States let alone across several war torn countries. I think many people could benefit from reading this story or stories like this especially in this time of year.
Long Story Short:
-Everyone needs to read more diverse books
-Everyone needs to figure out how to step outside of their bubble
-Just read this freaking book.
My Rating: 4/5
The Literary Something | Bookstagram
2020 Pop sugar reading challenge-a book by a trans or non-binary author.
Maybe not the best book to read right now, as it is kind of depressing in places. But, this was marvelous. It tells both the story of modern-day refugees from Syria and a fairy tale about a mapmaker apprenctice during medieval times. Both tales offer hope to those with courage.
Maybe not the best book to read right now, as it is kind of depressing in places. But, this was marvelous. It tells both the story of modern-day refugees from Syria and a fairy tale about a mapmaker apprenctice during medieval times. Both tales offer hope to those with courage.