wanderaven's review against another edition
3.0
I admit that I approached this book because of the cover and because of my interest in henna. Scribner offered an early look and I took them up on the opportunity. If you’re also intrigued with henna, you’ll find some history and symbolism and magical-realism sort of association with the subject in this novel.
You'll also find an interesting history of Jewish families in Yemen in the early 20th century. I feel my education in these areas, in general, is sorely lacking and so much of it was new to me (though it appears to have the same novelty to other reviewers).
I enjoyed the first and last quarters of Henna House the most, though it does feel that the general tone of the book shifts halfway through. The scope is wide: family, love, betrayal, fascinating laws and rituals.
You'll also find an interesting history of Jewish families in Yemen in the early 20th century. I feel my education in these areas, in general, is sorely lacking and so much of it was new to me (though it appears to have the same novelty to other reviewers).
I enjoyed the first and last quarters of Henna House the most, though it does feel that the general tone of the book shifts halfway through. The scope is wide: family, love, betrayal, fascinating laws and rituals.
shornerk's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of my favorite books of all time. The story is beautiful, epic, tragic, and mystical. In the great tradition of Jewish literature, the author weaves together incredible metaphors and narrative. There are so many metaphors with Eve's language that are absolutely breathtaking. Some of my favorites include "She let out a high waterfall sound - a laugh that had a sob for a scar;" "But when I looked into my aunt's eyes, I saw oceans and deserts. I saw a world not yet created, and worlds that had died long before I was born. In other words, I saw eternity, I also saw myself." The words within this book have given me a love for Yemenite Jewish history, Hebrew letters, and Henna.
lindablock's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
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? It's complicated
4.25
Very sad, but interesting. Hard to understand the mires of the times. A great read.
plaidpladd's review against another edition
4.0
Had to read a book set in Yemen and glad I chose this book. It's a really interesting time period I knew nothing about and the writing is beautiful. A little hard for me to get into at first, but then I ended up reading the majority in a day.
zhelana's review against another edition
5.0
This was an absolutely heartbreaking love story between a young woman, two of her cousins, and her husband. It started in a rural village in some Arab country, maybe Syria, and roamed the world taking the narrator to Israel, and her two cousins to Auschwitz. It follows her from her childhood engagement to her cousin to a marriage made of love in Israel. Along the way she finds the darkest betrayal of her life, and also a miracle bringing her love. It's hard to describe this book because the first half of it seemed a bit like a slice of life story, admittedly with the words of the confiscator hanging over her, but then at the end it became this story about all the kinds of love and betrayal and marriages and family drama you could imagine. I loved the narrator of this story, and felt my emotion towards the other characters change as her feelings for them changed over time. I think this is a sign of excellent writing. I really loved this book.
kdominey's review against another edition
emotional
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
singergurl4life's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
dl2000's review against another edition
5.0
Powerful and stunning writing, wonderful cultural history and all together beautifully told story.
sbnich's review against another edition
4.0
Poignant, evocative, and imbued with culture, tradition, angst, and betrayal, Eve has written a story against a historical framework of struggle for identity amongst clashing cultures .