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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
There are two parallel stories in this novel: one following intrepid travelers mapping the unknown expanses of the world and mythical creatures of folklore in the early 1100s, and one following a family ripped from their home during the Syrian refugee crisis. Both tales are dripping with shimmering imagery, lively characters, and heart stopping adventures; but the most magical part is that one story feels fictional and the other seems very, very real.
The folklore follows an ancient tale of Rawiya, a young girl from Ceuta, a Spanish city on the tip of Morocco, who disguises herself as a boy and leaves home to find knowledge and fortune to bring back to her mother. She meets lifelong friends, faces fearsome foes, and has just about every adventure you can imagine a girl-disguised-as-a-boy-in-ancient-times has. It's beautiful, exciting, and exactly what you expect from that kind of tale.
The modern story, following 12 year old American born Nour and her family that has recently moved back to their home in Syria, plays no tricks before immediately throwing you into the world of a Syrian refugee: the nostalgia for a home lost, the dangers on the road, the family that goes on and those that they lose in the journey across seas and foreign lands.
There's death in both stories - as you can expect from modern warfare and ancient mythology - but the chilling part is how distant you feel from the folktale and how very, very attached to the modern tale. The story alternates in third person/first person POV, and past/present tense, and masterfully alternates chapters on every. single. cliffhanger.
Both stories are exciting, and heartbreaking, and dripping with descriptions of the colors, the smells, the foods, the streets of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. This is the saddest book I've read in a long time, but it's also the best.
The folklore follows an ancient tale of Rawiya, a young girl from Ceuta, a Spanish city on the tip of Morocco, who disguises herself as a boy and leaves home to find knowledge and fortune to bring back to her mother. She meets lifelong friends, faces fearsome foes, and has just about every adventure you can imagine a girl-disguised-as-a-boy-in-ancient-times has. It's beautiful, exciting, and exactly what you expect from that kind of tale.
The modern story, following 12 year old American born Nour and her family that has recently moved back to their home in Syria, plays no tricks before immediately throwing you into the world of a Syrian refugee: the nostalgia for a home lost, the dangers on the road, the family that goes on and those that they lose in the journey across seas and foreign lands.
There's death in both stories - as you can expect from modern warfare and ancient mythology - but the chilling part is how distant you feel from the folktale and how very, very attached to the modern tale. The story alternates in third person/first person POV, and past/present tense, and masterfully alternates chapters on every. single. cliffhanger.
Both stories are exciting, and heartbreaking, and dripping with descriptions of the colors, the smells, the foods, the streets of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. This is the saddest book I've read in a long time, but it's also the best.
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
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:
Yes
One of my favorite books of the last several years. Would recommend to anyone interested in this type of literature!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Beautifully written, great audiobook
This was an unexpectedly beautiful book. The language was very lyrical and poetic against a backdrop of war and seeking refuge. The lyricism was also tinged with much sadness which created some complex emotions as the story went on.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
A beautifully told story. This book took me longer to read than most, which I think in part was because it is dealing with languages and names and placenames that are very foreign (literally) to me. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though the subject matter was at times hard to read. I particularly loved how Joukhadar intertwined the contemporary story with the medieval tale.
If you’re thinking about reading this, read it. You will not regret it. What an incredibly beautiful and wonderfully written story that should be required reading to understand what it means to give up everything just for a chance at a better life.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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