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A review by illustrated_librarian
Ghost Season by Fatin Abbas
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
In the remote Sudanese border town of Saraaya, a burnt corpse appears near an NGO compound. The compound is home to Southern translator William, Sudanese American filmmaker Dena, white midwestern aid worker Alex, Layla their nomad cook, and clever, endearing Mustafa, a 12-year-old nomad boy. With tensions between Northern and Southern Sudan rising, the mysterious corpse heralds the catastrophic events to come for the group when Mustafa's schemes to raise his family from poverty bring danger to their gates.
Through the lives of five strangers from vastly different backgrounds, Abbas weaves the history of the breakup of Sudan as the backdrop for its contemporary struggles with violence, and shows how this conflict plays out in the small scale of ordinary lives. Her prose is calm but striking, deftly conveying the inadequacy of words in the face of the suffering war brings upon these people.
Much of the book is heavy: there is displacement, death, persecution and fear. But even as these are features of the characters' lives, so too are joy and connection. Abbas examines the porus nature of borders, both of territory and identity, and the growth that happens when we break from these artificial constraints, extend our humanity across them, and imagine what more could be possible. Having this at the forefront of the narrative, shaping the arc of each character in subtly powerful ways, gives a profound and quietly hopeful note to a story that could otherwise be overwhelmed by bleakness.
Ghost Season manages to deftly encapsulate a complex national history, rich and differing cultures, and even touch upon the damages of climate change to the landscape of Sudan through the journeys of its deeply human characters. It's a haunting, important read, and an impressive debut.
Through the lives of five strangers from vastly different backgrounds, Abbas weaves the history of the breakup of Sudan as the backdrop for its contemporary struggles with violence, and shows how this conflict plays out in the small scale of ordinary lives. Her prose is calm but striking, deftly conveying the inadequacy of words in the face of the suffering war brings upon these people.
Much of the book is heavy: there is displacement, death, persecution and fear. But even as these are features of the characters' lives, so too are joy and connection. Abbas examines the porus nature of borders, both of territory and identity, and the growth that happens when we break from these artificial constraints, extend our humanity across them, and imagine what more could be possible. Having this at the forefront of the narrative, shaping the arc of each character in subtly powerful ways, gives a profound and quietly hopeful note to a story that could otherwise be overwhelmed by bleakness.
Ghost Season manages to deftly encapsulate a complex national history, rich and differing cultures, and even touch upon the damages of climate change to the landscape of Sudan through the journeys of its deeply human characters. It's a haunting, important read, and an impressive debut.