A review by bibliobethreads
Daughters of Smoke and Fire by Ava Homa

5.0

Hello everyone, today I have a review for you of Daughters Of Smoke And Fire by Ava Homa that I read recently with my good friend @tarheelreader. I’ve been staring at this page for a while now willing the right words to come out and I’m struggling. How can you talk about a book that affected you so much in a concise way that will encourage others to read it? I’m not sure but I’ll do my best.⁣
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This is the story of our lead character Leila, a Kurdish girl living in Iran. Her father has suffered torture and imprisonment for his beliefs in the past and this story follows her family, including her brother Chia as they go about their lives amidst the daily atrocities and prejudice that they are forced to undergo merely for being Kurdish. ⁣
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I don’t want to say too much about the plot for fear of giving too much away but this is a moving, heart-breaking, thought-provoking and intensely eye-opening tale. Tale is too light a word though because the horror of this narrative is that it isn’t really fiction. The Kurdish people are living through this discrimination in real life, right now. ⁣
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This is the very first work of fiction written by a Kurdish woman in English and just that fact alone should make it a “must read.” Even better, this is a truly staggering novel with so much anger and hate yet by the end, the reader is left with a faint glimmer of hope and optimism. ⁣
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I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Leila, her family, the friendships she forms and how her upbringing and personal experiences shape her chance to thrive. We see her struggling to trust, how she manages grief and betrayal and how she views her future dreams and aspirations. It’s not an easy read, not by any measure but it’s definitely worth your time. ⁣
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Five unforgettable stars