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A review by wandering_reads
The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar
4.0
Complete summary and review posted at : https://thepageandpassport.com/2019/04/21/the-map-of-salt-and-stars-jennifer-zeynab-joukhadar/
The see-saw parallel narratives made The Map of Salt and Stars very readable. Each chapter starts with Rawiya's adventures and transitions neatly into Nour's story. It's easy to fall into a rhythm of reading, as each chapter ends in a way that makes the reader want to go on. I was pretty invested in Nour and Rawiya's stories, and I loved how they intersected.
Nour grows up in the most difficult of circumstances. She is a sweet young girl, grieving the loss of her beloved father, adjusting to her new life in Syria. She was born in America and has the strongest connection to her old life, often reminiscing about times she and her father walked in NYC. When the civil war in Syria comes too close to home, she, her mother, sisters, and father's old friend must forge a rough path out of the country and find a place that is safe for them. This is no easy feat, and the dangers, fear, and worry is in every step. The reader can feel the fear. It's that tangible. It is the refugee experience in raw, unflinching detail ... and Nour tries to make sense of it all in her child-like thinking that grows less and less childish with every chapter. It's heartbreaking to see how she is forced to grow up so quickly ... but also celebrate with her when she finally develops into young womanhood.
Rawiya's tale is no less compelling. Based on Middle Eastern myths and legends, fraught with beautiful religious detail and mixed with the stories of old, the reader also watches as she too grows in knowledge, courage, love and worldly experience. In order to apprentice with the mapmaker, she must pretend to be a boy, and she is able to keep her secret well whilst still developing her personality and identity. Her tale is a perfect match for Nour's.
The Map of Salt and Stars is a beautiful story that weaves fantasy, legend, and modern day crises in a way that isn't dreary or overbearing. The two narratives are equally important to the book's plot and keep the reader going from chapter to chapter. The writing is laced with gorgeous descriptions, heartbreaking moments of loss, and color that sets the reader right into the setting. The concrete poems that begin each section are rich, well-written, and capture the emotion of the coming section. Nour's story is one of love and loss, fear and bravery, resourcefulness and strength. She is not so easily forgotten when the last page is turned.
The see-saw parallel narratives made The Map of Salt and Stars very readable. Each chapter starts with Rawiya's adventures and transitions neatly into Nour's story. It's easy to fall into a rhythm of reading, as each chapter ends in a way that makes the reader want to go on. I was pretty invested in Nour and Rawiya's stories, and I loved how they intersected.
Nour grows up in the most difficult of circumstances. She is a sweet young girl, grieving the loss of her beloved father, adjusting to her new life in Syria. She was born in America and has the strongest connection to her old life, often reminiscing about times she and her father walked in NYC. When the civil war in Syria comes too close to home, she, her mother, sisters, and father's old friend must forge a rough path out of the country and find a place that is safe for them. This is no easy feat, and the dangers, fear, and worry is in every step. The reader can feel the fear. It's that tangible. It is the refugee experience in raw, unflinching detail ... and Nour tries to make sense of it all in her child-like thinking that grows less and less childish with every chapter. It's heartbreaking to see how she is forced to grow up so quickly ... but also celebrate with her when she finally develops into young womanhood.
Rawiya's tale is no less compelling. Based on Middle Eastern myths and legends, fraught with beautiful religious detail and mixed with the stories of old, the reader also watches as she too grows in knowledge, courage, love and worldly experience. In order to apprentice with the mapmaker, she must pretend to be a boy, and she is able to keep her secret well whilst still developing her personality and identity. Her tale is a perfect match for Nour's.
The Map of Salt and Stars is a beautiful story that weaves fantasy, legend, and modern day crises in a way that isn't dreary or overbearing. The two narratives are equally important to the book's plot and keep the reader going from chapter to chapter. The writing is laced with gorgeous descriptions, heartbreaking moments of loss, and color that sets the reader right into the setting. The concrete poems that begin each section are rich, well-written, and capture the emotion of the coming section. Nour's story is one of love and loss, fear and bravery, resourcefulness and strength. She is not so easily forgotten when the last page is turned.