rachelisprobablyreading 's review for:

The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar

4.25

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The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar will tug at your heart strings and draw you into its rich, lyrical storytelling. 

Before 12-year-old Nour lost her father to cancer, he thrilled her imagination with tales of Rawiya, a mapmaker’s apprentice from the 13th century. 

Now, Nour and her mother and sisters are displaced from their home by bombing in Syria. As they travel across the Middle East and North Africa in search of safety, their journey parallels Rawiya’s. Nour draws bravery from the old story as she faces grief, meets new friends, and tries to make sense of the changes in her life.  

Obviously, the themes are incredibly heavy—death, violence, and displacement—but the author also does a wonderful job of exploring wonder, hope, and family (both chosen and related). I particularly loved the powerful development of the relationships between the sisters. Nour’s POV as a child is poignant, and we see her grow throughout the journey. 

This did feel a bit slow at times, heavy with metaphor and description, but I ended up really enjoying the novel!