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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
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
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, War
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
This book is brilliant. It has two parallel stories - one in the 12th century following a mapmaker and his apprentices, and one in (almost) modern day Syria following a family of refugees. The narrator in both stories is a girl on the cusp of womanhood, underestimated by those around her and ready for the world.
The stark realities of refugee journeys in the 21st century make for tough reading. The author did not flinch from the worst parts. And yet, the historical fantasy story gave the readers breaks from the harshness of real life, even while that narrator got into some really scary situations, too. It underscores the power of story in helping us make sense of our experiences and survive the worst days.
Did I cry? Yes, I did. This sits alongside Solito as a must read book for anyone who wanting a deeper understanding of how people escape the worst circumstances in their home countries.
The stark realities of refugee journeys in the 21st century make for tough reading. The author did not flinch from the worst parts. And yet, the historical fantasy story gave the readers breaks from the harshness of real life, even while that narrator got into some really scary situations, too. It underscores the power of story in helping us make sense of our experiences and survive the worst days.
Did I cry? Yes, I did. This sits alongside Solito as a must read book for anyone who wanting a deeper understanding of how people escape the worst circumstances in their home countries.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail
I understand what the author was trying to do with the parallel stories, but the story from the past was not as compelling and found me rushing to get through it to find out what happens in the current times story.
I was very excited for this book because of its setting in Syria. Unfortunately, it disappointed me. I’m not a fan of dual timeline stories. The stories would switch right in the middle of the chapter. Overall it was too slow. I struggled to finish it, but I did. On the plus side, I did enjoy the use of Arabic words and phrases!!
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Beautiful written and a very well strung story. Joukhadar tells a story fully and with poetic imagery. I'm also not one to typically read an author's note all the way through, but he leaves behind a great list of readings and resources he used to inform his understanding of the history of the region, and I am super grateful and excited to pick up some of those books as well.
“For every poet knows that the sea herself has never loved, beloved, and she is thick with our tears. Only the desert knows what love is. Only the desert opens herself when the rains come, breathing in our pain, breathing out acacia and tamarisk and flowers. Only the wadi knows what it is to hold its breath. Only the wadi knows what it is to cry for joy, saying, yes, there was death here and will be death again one day, and between the two are laughter and the rhythmic breathing in of generations.”
Packed with golden sentences. A gorgeous, heart-gripping story. ✨
Packed with golden sentences. A gorgeous, heart-gripping story. ✨