Reviews

The Orchard of Lost Souls by Nadifa Mohamed

ronald_schoedel's review against another edition

5.0

I well remember listening to reports of the Somali civil war on the BBC World Service when I was young, and found it hard to imagine that such brutality and violence could exist in our “civilized” age. Of course, I was 12 or so, and not aware of how common war and violence was, in fact.

Reading this was heart-rending and gut-wrenching. The author clearly knows her subject matter and did not shy away from telling the story the world needed to hear about the dictatorship in Somalia, the rebels, the back-and-forth takeovers, and the lives of the civilians so carelessly disregarded by both sides. Knowing what I know now of the civil war, I have no reason to disbelieve the incident described in the book wherein the military rounded up school kids and ordered nurses in the hospital to bleed them dead so that injured soldiers could have the blood they needed. This is only one of many inhumanities described.

In the end, hope and love prevail in this book, which leaves the reader feeling a little more positive than the preceding 338 pages inspired.

I am absolutely glad I read Orchard of Lost Souls, despite the chapter after chapter of tragedy and pain. The world needs to know the actual human price of war.

nasra's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Cons:
Emotional intimacy between characters could be written clearer left wanting more when it came to their interpersonal emotions.
Pros:
Super super necessary. Tear jerking. Hope this is the start of many Somali books that I read.

jula94's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

corvoid's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.0

jhowleywells's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

filaughn's review against another edition

4.0

This is a powerful book - a quick read, but by no means a light one. The author excels at capturing the isolation of her characters, and what that isolation does to them. The passages about the backstories of the three main characters were woven in very well. She covers brutal wartime events while maintaining respect for the people hurt or killed. However, I did think that the ending was too pat and a certain development was not convincing. It could have been if given more time, maybe, either before or after it happened - but I wasn't sold on it.
 

Filsan's change of heart was a little too late, or underwritten.

 

_diana_'s review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

trenchcoatfullofcats's review against another edition

5.0

Ich gebe diesem Buch 5 Sterne, weil es an mir haften bleibt. Es umschreibt so direkt und einfach Situationen, die mir fremd sind, und bringt sie mir nah. Es werden Emotionen verwendet, die bekannt sind, und sie machen mir die unbekannten Situationen verständlich, fast alltäglich. Es löst Dialog in mir aus. Ich verlasse mich auf die Autorin in den Umschreibungen von Kultur und Orten dass sie wieder geben was wahr ist. Aber selbst wenn nicht. In den Gefühlen und Situationen die präsentiert werden steckt Wahrheit. Neue Wahrheiten zu finden, egal wo, ist es, was mich gerne lesen lässt.

smrloomis's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

muga's review against another edition

5.0

https://youtu.be/Uh2dDKK7miA