Reviews

I loved loved loved this book! Such a beautifully written story about a time and topic of which I knew so little. I would have loved to hear a little more about the present day timeline at points, as I felt that some of Ada’s more significant events fizzle
out. But overall I thought the themes of human resilience and forgiveness were so captivating. I loved the magical realism and I loved the lyrical style of writing - even if that may not be to everyone’s taste.

smueller4153's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

camiloolaya's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Read this book for class for a presentation, and absolutely loved. incredible writing and prose, and the usage of the fig tree as a character was incredible. Loved every chapter of this book

readingfar's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective 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? Yes

5.0

sararmn's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

“A map is a two-dimensional representation with arbitrary symbols and incised lines that decide who is to be our enemy and who is to be our friend, who deserves our love and who deserves our hatred and who, our sheer indifference.”

“Where do you start someone's story when every life has more than one thread and what we call birth is not the only beginning not is death exactly an end?”

“And we trees watched, waited and witnessed.”

“You might call it transgenerational memory. At the end of the day, we all remember for the same reason we try to forget: to survive in a world that neither understands nor values us.”

“I can tell you one thing about humans: they will react to the disappearance of a species the way they react to everything else - by putting themselves at the centre of the universe.”

“Perhaps in a world bound with rules and regulations that made little sense, and usually privileged a few over the many, madness was the only true freedom.”

“Maybe we give other names to grief because we are too scared to call it by its name.”

“Because in real life, unlike in history books, stories come to us not in their entirety but in bits and pieces, broken segments and partial echoes, a full sentence here, a fragment there, a clue hidden in between. In life, unlike in books, we have to weave our stories out of threads as fine as the gossamer veins that run through a butterfly's wings.”

More...