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jess_mango's review
4.0
I LOVED the food descriptions in this novel, who's primary character is a Half-Arab woman working as a chef at a Middle Eastern restaurant in Los Angeles.
melodys_library's review
4.0
I needed the soft, lyrical prose of Diana Abu Jaber right now. Food and love come alive in this story, as with every Abu Jaber story. You can smell the notes of roasted lamb and onion in the cafe, and feel the vibrations of new love beginning between Han and Sirine. Amid the romance, Abu Jaber also adds dashes of pre-9/11 politics, religion, and cultural clashes to the mix.
As the secrets of Han’s past are slowly unveiled, Sirine journeys into self-reflection. Growing up Iraqi-American without religious practice or affinity for politics, she begins to explore what it means to be Muslim in the West. She stumbles along the way through self-doubt and self-awareness, and it’s difficult to get through, but you must, because hope lies at the end.
As the secrets of Han’s past are slowly unveiled, Sirine journeys into self-reflection. Growing up Iraqi-American without religious practice or affinity for politics, she begins to explore what it means to be Muslim in the West. She stumbles along the way through self-doubt and self-awareness, and it’s difficult to get through, but you must, because hope lies at the end.
littletaiko's review
3.0
I really wanted to like Crescent by Diana Abu-Jaber more than I did. After reading The Language of Baklava, I was expecting something more I guess. It's the story of an exiled Iraqi and an American-Iraqi who fall in love. Of course there is a mysterious, tragic background for one of them and lots of confusion for the other one. The characters never seemed real to me. Interspersed with the story is a rambling fairy tale which was amusing, but ended up being a distraction from the story. However, it was interesting to get more insight into how the Arab community views Americans and why. Additionally, it shows that at their core, most people, regardless of their nationality, value family.
pattydsf's review against another edition
4.0
Such gorgeous writing. Wonderful descriptions of the food and of life.
twowhoodles's review against another edition
5.0
I don't remember how I found this book or why I picked it up, but I'm so glad I did. It's a modern fairy tale, transported me away and I couldn't put it down. Equal parts sorrow, joy, love, and fear, with a healthy dose of beauty and longing thrown in.
The talk of food in the café makes me want to cook (and eat), the descriptions of Iraq make me want to travel.. what more can I say? A fabulous novel, one of my favorite re-reads on slow summer nights.
The talk of food in the café makes me want to cook (and eat), the descriptions of Iraq make me want to travel.. what more can I say? A fabulous novel, one of my favorite re-reads on slow summer nights.
mldias's review against another edition
5.0
I spent much of my time reading this novel in a sensory haze. The writing herein is plush, evocative, and sensuous. Sirine, Han, Nathan, and Aziz aren't always likable, but they exist on so many dimensions that we forgive them their flaws. The story, which might have been soap-operatic in less capable hands, is intricate, complex.
One passage of particular interest to me, from both a narrative and feminist standpoint, comes when Sirine stumbles across some candid photographs of her and Han together. She muses, "It is as though the whole of their relationship has been somehow invisibly noted and catalogued. Hans is the hero and Sirine the love interest" (327). This is a jarring marginalization of self. Most of the story unfolds from Sirine's point of view, with a few brief forays into Han's past. It is interesting, then, that she downplays herself as a mere "love interest" when it is her character who drives the story. This is reflective of a larger insecurity that plagues her throughout--no matter how close she gets to Han, no matter how many men show romantic interest in her, she sees herself as simple-minded, inferior. Perhaps she can thank her parents--dead now, but neglectful when she was a child--for these issues.
This book began as an exercise in sheer "cover appeal" for me. I have contemplated reading Abu-Jaber's Origin many times, but had never before seen Crescent on the shelf. It was a shallow choice that paid off. Crescent is a complex love story. It is a treatise on family. Perhaps above all else, it is a probing exploration of the Arab-American immigrant experience.
One passage of particular interest to me, from both a narrative and feminist standpoint, comes when Sirine stumbles across some candid photographs of her and Han together. She muses, "It is as though the whole of their relationship has been somehow invisibly noted and catalogued. Hans is the hero and Sirine the love interest" (327). This is a jarring marginalization of self. Most of the story unfolds from Sirine's point of view, with a few brief forays into Han's past. It is interesting, then, that she downplays herself as a mere "love interest" when it is her character who drives the story. This is reflective of a larger insecurity that plagues her throughout--no matter how close she gets to Han, no matter how many men show romantic interest in her, she sees herself as simple-minded, inferior. Perhaps she can thank her parents--dead now, but neglectful when she was a child--for these issues.
This book began as an exercise in sheer "cover appeal" for me. I have contemplated reading Abu-Jaber's Origin many times, but had never before seen Crescent on the shelf. It was a shallow choice that paid off. Crescent is a complex love story. It is a treatise on family. Perhaps above all else, it is a probing exploration of the Arab-American immigrant experience.
annebennett1957's review
4.0
At last a sweet love story with other delectable tidbits: cultural information about Iraqi/Arab culture, food, music, folklore, and a wonderful cast of characters. We had our best book club discussion over this book to date.
(Catching up on reviews for books read before blogging/Goodreads days, made from notes made at the time the book was read. Written on 7/27/21.)
(Catching up on reviews for books read before blogging/Goodreads days, made from notes made at the time the book was read. Written on 7/27/21.)