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fetzpahs2002's review against another edition
4.0
I am a big fan of Roma Tearne. I got hooked on her Sri Lanka themed books, then found her others, that only had a Sri Lankan expat as a character, were just as well written. This book is a step further away, focused on Arab expats in a London slightly in the future. It also is a fantasy distopia, which really is not that far from the societal dysfunction of war torn Sri Lanka or the closet racist UK of disillusioned southAsians.
There are jumps in the narrative from first to third person and from who those are. It gives the storyline a disconnection where present, past, and future are only marginally linked. But the writing is very descriptive, the characters well developed, and it is a good read.
There are jumps in the narrative from first to third person and from who those are. It gives the storyline a disconnection where present, past, and future are only marginally linked. But the writing is very descriptive, the characters well developed, and it is a good read.
gurofl's review
reflective
sad
3.0
I thought I was going to read a book set in a city covered in snow, and about survival there. The book wasn't about that at all.
I liked some parts, and not others.
The flashbacks about living in a totalitarian state were good. The love story and Hera's obsession with Raphae weren't convincing. I didn't like the use of second-person narrative being interspersed all over the text. It took me out of the story.
I liked some parts, and not others.
The flashbacks about living in a totalitarian state were good. The love story and Hera's obsession with Raphae weren't convincing. I didn't like the use of second-person narrative being interspersed all over the text. It took me out of the story.
bethsbooketlist's review against another edition
4.0
This book was very different to what I have read before, and was a great surprise
1.✔The book is described as a story of human resilience in the face of social and environmental breakdown and that is pretty accurate. When our current world politics are in such disarray and the threat of terrorism globally seems at its most high, I felt this was an important novel to read. The media is very quick to expose a threat but it was good for a novel to explore the cultural impact this can have. Throwing in the dystopian future where our environment has declined to an apocalyptic state, it made for a unique read
2.✔The main theme of this book for me was the importance of bearing witness. The book covers different time periods, and bears witness to the tragedy that befalls Hera's family and the persecution and fortune that was inflicted upon Raphael and his people. Without witnesses, there would be no one to spread the truth and define history. Persecution and war within cultures would be hidden from the rest of the world, where so many that have "disappeared" would lose their voice and be forgotten. It was such a critical theme to the book and relevant to our world today
This was a short but unique read that I am glad to have read.
1.✔The book is described as a story of human resilience in the face of social and environmental breakdown and that is pretty accurate. When our current world politics are in such disarray and the threat of terrorism globally seems at its most high, I felt this was an important novel to read. The media is very quick to expose a threat but it was good for a novel to explore the cultural impact this can have. Throwing in the dystopian future where our environment has declined to an apocalyptic state, it made for a unique read
2.✔The main theme of this book for me was the importance of bearing witness. The book covers different time periods, and bears witness to the tragedy that befalls Hera's family and the persecution and fortune that was inflicted upon Raphael and his people. Without witnesses, there would be no one to spread the truth and define history. Persecution and war within cultures would be hidden from the rest of the world, where so many that have "disappeared" would lose their voice and be forgotten. It was such a critical theme to the book and relevant to our world today
This was a short but unique read that I am glad to have read.
dreesreads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Definitely a book that I wish I had a book group to discuss with!
Hera, the daughter of Muslim immigrants, lives in London. One day her brother is arrested and taken as a suspected terrorist. Her parents and "uncle" spend all of their time (and money) trying to get information on where he is and why they think he has done this.
Meanwhile, a 27 year winter settles over London. Hera, an art student, us regularly painting Raphael, a survivor of Pinochet's Chile. The only survivor of his family.
So many questions. How does anyone survive a 27-year winter? Where does the wood Hera uses for heating come from, and the bland tomatoes she eats? How are people not fighting as the city shuts down? Do most flee? So many questions. OR, does the 27-year winter simply represent the isolation and coldness faced by immigrants in modern-day London under the current government?
Definitely a book that I wish I had a book group to discuss with!
Hera, the daughter of Muslim immigrants, lives in London. One day her brother is arrested and taken as a suspected terrorist. Her parents and "uncle" spend all of their time (and money) trying to get information on where he is and why they think he has done this.
Meanwhile, a 27 year winter settles over London. Hera, an art student, us regularly painting Raphael, a survivor of Pinochet's Chile. The only survivor of his family.
So many questions. How does anyone survive a 27-year winter? Where does the wood Hera uses for heating come from, and the bland tomatoes she eats? How are people not fighting as the city shuts down? Do most flee? So many questions. OR, does the 27-year winter simply represent the isolation and coldness faced by immigrants in modern-day London under the current government?