A review by amy_park
Wandering Souls by Cécile Pin

emotional sad medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Utterly heartbreaking, but a crucial read for an insightful look into the treachrous and lonely route for refugees to find settlement. Initially I wanted to read this book as it has been longlisted for the women's prize 2023, the premise intrigued me but I wasn't prepared at how sad and heartbreaking this novel is. I loved the multiple perspectives flickering to Anh and her siblings, the ghost of Dao and the mysterious narrator. The ghost of Dao was incredibly hard to read and made me well up with tears on many occasions. The use of spacing was genius and really demonstrated the lost and floating narrative of his "wandering soul". I enjoyed the resolution at the end, feeling the shared relief but also the reference to generational trauma. Would definitely recommend, the narrative will be with me for a long time!

Read in March 2023: Essential reading for the current political decisions by the UK government! Highlights the cruel lack of empathy the Conservative government has, now and decades before!!!
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