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latisha's review against another edition
1.0
Graphic: Ableism
marae216's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Rape, and Slavery
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In other words this is a book that requires plenty of effort and concentration from the reader. Thankfully I felt my effort was worth it. It was a complicated family story which I always enjoy, one which highlighted the challenges faced by women, challenges which some navigated to their own advantage better than others. However, the story also emphasised the way traditional societal practices had negative impacts on men as well. I couldn’t help but feel for Abdallah, who suffered at the hands of an abusive father and whose wife did not love him the way way he loved her. While reading this novel I built up a picture of Omani society, the way it traditionally operated and the way it changed, little by little, over the twentieth century, from an insular, patriarchal slave holding society to one where western influences and practises were more pervasive. The uneasy coexistence of the old and the new was evident, as were the class divides and disparities of wealth. While I struggled to settle into the flow of the story, the big picture as it were, many of the chapters were excellent, and the novel included some compelling character studies.
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Slavery
Moderate: Ableism, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship
nyne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Ableism and Slavery
samisal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Slavery, and Suicide
bluejayreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Incest, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Sexual content
Other triggers: Childbirth, spousal neglect Note on Incest trigger: Many characters in this story marry their first cousins, and we in the West would categorize that as incest. But it’s clear from the book that not only is that not considered incest in Oman, marrying someone from your family is often preferable to marrying a stranger. It is still incest to us Westerners, but in the book it's treated as a very good marriage option.bookishcori's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Slavery
Minor: Ableism and Suicidal thoughts