glittercherry's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
3.5
leavingsealevel's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the first 2/3 of this book and then was fairly meh about the end. A whole bunch of dramatic events happened in quick succession...I think said events were supposed to wrap everything up neatly and quickly, but it didn't work for me.
anneke_b's review against another edition
2.0
Oh, there is so much potential there, but it just didn't work for me. Is it the editing? The many story lines? There was just something off with the book, and I so much wanted to like it, especially because I have lived in Jordan, and there were many instances that I could definitely relate to.
A bit of a let down for me, unfortunately.
A bit of a let down for me, unfortunately.
jordinna's review against another edition
3.0
i liked this book - i truly did. the dynamic storylines and perspectives were what made this otherwise painfully slow-paced novel a bit more enjoyable. there was much to learn about the characters, the women of the Sabas family, as well as hussein and abu za'atar, muna as an american cousin visiting - but i find it difficult to sympathize with any other character than mother fadhma, whose tender moments are actually shared properly and, at times, breaks my heart. explanations and lengthy paragraphs occasionally got confusing and sore to read - a family tree would've helped a lot, but nonetheless, it was interesting reading about the family history of a christian family in a predominantly muslim town.
however, halasa really could have done better with where she put the climax of the story. i'm not even entirely sure which part that is. the only genuinely thrilling part of the book is the ending, where hussein is beaten and the precious umm al-khanaazeer is killed, and samira is offered a life-changing experience. where was all of this in the first 260 pages of this 266 page novel? most of the plot just follows the family's day-to-day lives, and thanks to halasa's witty and descriptive writing, it wasn't all that boring. i wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who doesn't care for intricacy. it's definitely not a book full of action or drama. it's a very sit-down, peaceful sort of read. i don't feel like i've wasted my time, and i can still praise this book and its wonderful dynamics, but i just might pull my hair out if i was ever forced to read it again.
however, halasa really could have done better with where she put the climax of the story. i'm not even entirely sure which part that is. the only genuinely thrilling part of the book is the ending, where hussein is beaten and the precious umm al-khanaazeer is killed, and samira is offered a life-changing experience. where was all of this in the first 260 pages of this 266 page novel? most of the plot just follows the family's day-to-day lives, and thanks to halasa's witty and descriptive writing, it wasn't all that boring. i wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who doesn't care for intricacy. it's definitely not a book full of action or drama. it's a very sit-down, peaceful sort of read. i don't feel like i've wasted my time, and i can still praise this book and its wonderful dynamics, but i just might pull my hair out if i was ever forced to read it again.
notkirk's review against another edition
3.0
3 out of 5 Stars - This is a great book I would recommend to most people, but not necessarily everyone
I truly loved this book. However, I will caveat that with, it took me much longer than normal to finish. The content was never exciting or thrilling. Quite honestly it was just the day in the life of a simple family from Jordan.
What I found myself drawn to was the variety of characters presented and each of their lives. They all had unique upbringings, personalities, struggles and motivations, yet were all living as one family in one house. The intricacies of the family dynamic as well as the cultural implications were fascinating.
Would strongly recommend this book but know it is a bit of a slower/build up read.
I truly loved this book. However, I will caveat that with, it took me much longer than normal to finish. The content was never exciting or thrilling. Quite honestly it was just the day in the life of a simple family from Jordan.
What I found myself drawn to was the variety of characters presented and each of their lives. They all had unique upbringings, personalities, struggles and motivations, yet were all living as one family in one house. The intricacies of the family dynamic as well as the cultural implications were fascinating.
Would strongly recommend this book but know it is a bit of a slower/build up read.
mellon89's review against another edition
5.0
First, let me say that I loved this book. I thought it was well-done and I thoroughly enjoyed delving into the lives of this Jordanian family, seeing what each of their motivations were, and figuring out how their paths intertwined. There were a few moments in this book that seemed very "instructional" - I don't know why, it feel like a Western audience was being instructed, as though to say "This is how we really are, America!" but I guess maybe that's sort of the point: we are being shown a point of view that is often misrepresented or misunderstood. I don't necessarily think it needs more "plot" - when you're talking about the lives of women in the Middle East, realistically it doesn't involve a heck of a lot outside of the home - but I do think it could have been a little more subtle.
"Listening to Mustafa, Hussein wonders if anything has changed at all. The present conflicts - Alawi vs. Dunni; Salifi vs. the Jordanian intelligence; Saudi Arabia vs. Iran - may appear localized, but they have been shaped by Western invasion and interference. Grated it wasn't the barefaced colonialism of this his father's day. Now a slight of hand was at play, due in part to the availability of more sophisticated long-range weaponry. But whether you're murdered close up or from far away, the message for subjugated peoples is the same: toe the fucking line. all the wars that have been started and withdrawn from, or dragged out as long-simmering territorial occupations, have left a legacy of bloodshed. Every country has been affected...or, as Hussein corrects himself, infected. So many lives wasted and for nothing."
It's really easy to be overwhelmed and forget about all the different places in the world that have been rocked by violence (and still are to this day), it's easy to forget that those people are suffering, it's easy to judge, but I think this is a good reminder of their humanity.
I admittedly don't know a lot about Jordanian culture and this was a great, brief introduction into their realities. In a way, the book did what it's meant to do, I compared this culture and country to my own and walked away with a feeling that we are more similar than we let on. I loved reading about the strength of women, in other places of the world, working to free themselves from the shackles of tradition and sexism.
"'Women are a bridge to the future. Women are the donkeys of tradition. Women are caregivers and self-obsessed. they suffocate and love. They abuse and they suffer. The killer or the victim, which one are you?'"
"'Drip by drip, like water, we melt stone!'"
What I absolutely LOVED the italic interludes. I knew something was coming, as I read the first such passage, but I didn't know what it would be. I thought these were every well done, well-written, and well-integrated into the rest of the story.
All-in-all, I flew through this book. It was an easy read but it made me think about my own identity a little bit and loved it.
"'I wonder where someone like me fits in?' Muna surveys the wooden lean-to on the roof next door, which provides shelter for the empty cushions and chairs from the sun. 'For most of my life I've been too mixed for the Arabs, and before ethnic diversity became fashionable in the US, I was too odd for them, too.'
Samira can't believe that she has been talking about the incredibly desperate situation in Syria and Muna's reaction is to think about herself."
"Listening to Mustafa, Hussein wonders if anything has changed at all. The present conflicts - Alawi vs. Dunni; Salifi vs. the Jordanian intelligence; Saudi Arabia vs. Iran - may appear localized, but they have been shaped by Western invasion and interference. Grated it wasn't the barefaced colonialism of this his father's day. Now a slight of hand was at play, due in part to the availability of more sophisticated long-range weaponry. But whether you're murdered close up or from far away, the message for subjugated peoples is the same: toe the fucking line. all the wars that have been started and withdrawn from, or dragged out as long-simmering territorial occupations, have left a legacy of bloodshed. Every country has been affected...or, as Hussein corrects himself, infected. So many lives wasted and for nothing."
It's really easy to be overwhelmed and forget about all the different places in the world that have been rocked by violence (and still are to this day), it's easy to forget that those people are suffering, it's easy to judge, but I think this is a good reminder of their humanity.
I admittedly don't know a lot about Jordanian culture and this was a great, brief introduction into their realities. In a way, the book did what it's meant to do, I compared this culture and country to my own and walked away with a feeling that we are more similar than we let on. I loved reading about the strength of women, in other places of the world, working to free themselves from the shackles of tradition and sexism.
"'Women are a bridge to the future. Women are the donkeys of tradition. Women are caregivers and self-obsessed. they suffocate and love. They abuse and they suffer. The killer or the victim, which one are you?'"
"'Drip by drip, like water, we melt stone!'"
What I absolutely LOVED the italic interludes. I knew something was coming, as I read the first such passage, but I didn't know what it would be. I thought these were every well done, well-written, and well-integrated into the rest of the story.
All-in-all, I flew through this book. It was an easy read but it made me think about my own identity a little bit and loved it.
"'I wonder where someone like me fits in?' Muna surveys the wooden lean-to on the roof next door, which provides shelter for the empty cushions and chairs from the sun. 'For most of my life I've been too mixed for the Arabs, and before ethnic diversity became fashionable in the US, I was too odd for them, too.'
Samira can't believe that she has been talking about the incredibly desperate situation in Syria and Muna's reaction is to think about herself."
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