Originally Published: August 25, 2016Genre: Political Fiction
Publisher: The Borough Press
Pages: 280
Series: Standalone
Source: Goodreads Giveaway
Price: £12.99 (Hardback from Amazon)
£8.99 (Paperback from Amazon)
About the book (Taken from the blurb):
Hannah has deep roots in Beirut, the city of her birth and of her family. Her American husband, Peter, has certainty only in her. They thought they were used to the upheavals in the Lebanon, but as the war in neighbouring Syria enters its fifth year, the region's increasingly fragile state begins to impact on their lives in wholly different ways.
An incident in a busy street brings them into direct contact with a Syrian refugee and her son. As they work to reunite Fatima with her family, her story forces Hannah to face the crisis of the expanding refugee camps, and to question the very future of her homeland.
And when their close friend Anas, an artist, arrives to open his expedition, shocking news from his home in Damascus raises uncomfortable questions about his loyalty to his family and his country.
My review:
This story was an unexpected masterpiece! It's a beautiful story set in Beirut and focuses on how family, friendships and patriotism can survive when confronted with conflict. Jarrar is able to create interesting personal stories with deep political meanings, which makes reading political fiction a whole lot easier. When reading a fiction novel, you don't want to be bombarded with facts and opinions (I don't at least), which is why I try to stay away from political fiction, but Jarrar finds a perfect balance, which keeps the story interesting throughout.
The characters are each unique in their own way and have their own interpretations on how to deal with the problems that arise. Some, to me at least, are much more logical than others, but the diverse set of opinions show how the different groups of people act, the majority of the time it's either patriotically or realistically. Anas chooses patriotism, Brigitte and Maysoun choose to be realistic, and Peter and Hannah are somewhere in the middle. The opinions that rise from the different ideological stances can be shocking at times, which makes each confrontation between the friends even tenser. This book does a fantastic job of showing how conflict can push friendships to the limit.
The way Jarrar describes the setting is also pretty amazing. While you're reading, it feels like you're in the Lebanon with them, which is pretty fricken remarkable. To say I'd never heard much about the Lebanon at all, I now feel like I've been. And to say I have the creativity of a rock, that is a pretty hard thing for an author to do.
To conclude, this is a truly magical story that will stay with you for a long time after you finish reading. You really feel like you're in the Lebanon while reading this, and you feel like you've known the characters your whole life. It also does a fantastic job of tackling very controversial issues, and may even change your views on certain subjects, as it did with me. So do I recommend this book? Absolutely, it covers so many relevant topics and shows light to some areas of the world most turn their backs on. So what are you waiting for? Read away nerdlings.
Do you enjoy reading political fiction? Are you going to be reading this book? Enjoyed any other work from Nada Awar Jarrar? Let me know in the comments!
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