Absolutely stunning book. I certainly appreciate all the praise of Samar Yazbek's work.

The story is a simple one on the face of it. Ali is a young soldier, blown up by friendly fire. He finds himself lying in a crater next to a tree. The book centres around him trying to climb the tree to safety.Ali's attempts to work out how badly he is hurt and how to reach the trees branches are interlaced with thoughts of his life.

The distinction between the two realities is so subtle you barely notice the switch happening. The stories are almost dream in quality and as Ali tries to process his reality it becomes difficult to separate what is real and what isn't.

The writing is quite spare but emotionally charged. You're left in no doubt as to what life is for the average family in Syria and how appalling the circumstances are for people living there. And this war is just the latest in a long list of wars that Syria has been involved in during the 20th and 21st centuries. Samar Yazek conveys all this in what is a short, sparse novel.

It is beautifully written, very moving and I'd love to read more of her work. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone.

Many thanks to Netgalley and World Editions for the advance review copy.10 s Cathy1,294 278

Ali, the protagonist of Where the Wind Calls Home, sees the world differently from others having formed from early in his life an intense relationship with nature, particularly trees. ‘Trees were simple, un people.’

As a boy, one particular oak tree became his sanctuary, a place from which he observed the clouds, and the mountains that surrounded his village. As he lingers between life and death, injured – probably fatally – by a bomb dropped in error on its own soldiers, his sole objective becomes to reach a nearby tree in search of that familiar sanctuary.?He sees the tree’s presence as a sign that it will take care of him, that it is no coincidence he finds himself close to it.

Hallucinating because of his injuries, he relives moments from his life: the death of his brother, an arduous trek to a shrine with his mother Nahla, a visit to the palace of a local chief whose lavish lifestyle demonstrates how power and wealth has been concentrated in the hands of a few. These episodes give an insight into life in a rural village whose peaceful, albeit harsh, existence has been transformed by war: its menfolk killed leaving grieving families without fathers, sons, brothers.

Although any loss of life in war is devastating, it seems particularly tragic that a gentle soul Ali, who harboured ambitions to follow a religious life, should be caught up in a violent conflict – ‘one of the many wars that humans are so busy inventing’. In fact, as we learn, his involvement results from an act of sacrifice. Ali recalls his mother’s anguish at not being able to view the body of Ali’s brother, so devastating were his injuries, and is determined she not should not suffer in the same way again. ‘Ali reflected that even if he didn’t survive, at the very least, he had to keep this promise to himself: to make sure his body stayed whole, so Nahla could see it and say goodbye to him…’

Where the Winds Calls Home has a dream quality as Ali’s thoughts move, often imperceptibly, between past and present. There is striking imagery, particularly the presence of a mysterious ‘Other’ whose movements seem to mirror Ali’s own struggles to achieve his objective. It’s a heartbreaking story of the destructive impact of war and a reminder that seemingly intractable conflicts persist in many parts of the world.netgalley publisher-review-copies translated-literature8 s Sookie1,174 91

Ali, a young soldier from a small village in Syria, lies underneath a tree, gravely injured due to some sort of explosion. As he lies there, he relives his life as he starts with recounting his brother's funeral, his mother's breakdowns during the course of his formative years.

Set during the time that is on the brink of civil war, Ali runs contradictions in his mind with his current state - a sort of fugue between life and death, and the life he lead before the war. Through his eyes, Samar Yazbek gives a poetic narration of Syrian countryside, the simplicity of life and the way war is brought to them.

As expected from this author, the narration is rich, haunting and engaging.

Thanks to World Editions and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.literary-fiction netgalley translated4 s André2,479 19

Samar Yazbek is een Syrische schrijfster en journaliste, geboren in Jableh in 1970. Ze is de auteur van verschillende fictiewerken, waaronder Cinnamon. Yazbek, een uitgesproken criticus van het Assad-regime, maar ook van wat zij identificeert als onjuiste percepties van ideologische conformiteit binnen de Syrische alawitische gemeenschap, is nauw betrokken bij de Syrische opstand sinds deze uitbrak op 15 maart 2011. Uit angst voor het leven van haar dochter moest ze haar land ontvluchten en leeft nu ondergedoken. Drie jaar lang ging Samar Yazbek spreken met vijfenvijftig vrouwen om hun getuigenissen op te nemen. Gewone Syriërs, in de leeftijd van 20 tot 77 jaar, uit Damascus en Ghouta, Idlib en zijn platteland, Aleppo, de kuststreek, Homs, Hama, Quneitra, Raqqa, Deir ez Zor. Syriërs uit de middenklasse en vaak universitair afgestudeerden, die, ver weg van de stereotypen van het slachtoffer en de passieve vrouw, er allemaal met gevaar voor eigen leven voor kozen om deel te nemen aan de opstand, dromend van een vrij Syrië en democratie, niet alleen voor vrouwen maar voor al hun medeburgers.
Yazbek ontving de Pen/Pinter International Writer of Courage Award 2012, toegekend aan een auteur van uitstekende literaire verdienste die een 'onverschrokken' blik op de wereld werpt.
In haar laatste werk Waar de wind huist schrijft Samar Yazbek over de uren waarin de stervende soldaat Ali zijn leven overdenkt tot op het moment dat hij met het leger in aanraking kwam en werd opgeroepen, of beter gezegd werd ingelijfd.
Ali ligt op de grond onder een grote boom. Hij droomt over een begrafenis, die van zichzelf? Is de vrouw die haar armen om de kist slaat zijn moeder? Wanneer hij weer bij bewustzijn komt, herinnert Ali zich de begrafenis van zijn broer, ongeveer een jaar geleden. Op hetzelfde moment realiseert hij zich dat hij gewond moet zijn geraakt door een bom die het leger eerder die dag per ongeluk liet vallen. Ali, een dromerige jongen wil niets liever dan de spirituele tradities van zijn volk in leven houden. Maar de oorlog staat tussen hem en zijn droom. De lezer leert Ali kennen terwijl hij zwaar gewond de nacht probeert door te komen.
De auteur laat de lezer rechtstreeks aanspreken door Ali. Met grote overtuiging weet de auteur de lezer aan zich te binden door Ali taal en vooral beelden te geven waardoor meeleven iets vanzelfsprekends wordt. De verteller spreekt in springerige associatieve beelden doordat elke herinnering een volgende oproept en de angst iets belangrijks over te slaan groot is.
Een heel aangrijpend en sterk werk!3 s Kim Daniel160 7

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This beautifully-written book, translated from the Arabic, tells the story of a young man named Ari, a soldier who has been gravely injured in action. As he lies on the ground and tries to come to terms with what happened and the extent of his injuries, he thinks about the things in his life that have led up to this moment.
The magic of this story lies in the author's poetic descriptions of both a country (Syria) and its people during conflict, as well as the gentle and sometimes gritty development of Ari's character. I highly recommend this intriguing story.2 s Paola36 25

A devastating story about war and family, about religion, submissiveness and human connection with nature.

Using dream, poetic language, the author tells a story about a young man now -- torn apart by a bomb, trying to climb a tree in hopes of surviving -- and before -- snippets of important moments in his life, before enlisting in the army. I loved reading about this village and all the connections between these ordinary people living in circumstances that shouldn't be as ordinary as they are.

"...in the same way that they reused food, soil, rocks, everything, even grief."

I found some parts of the 'now' perspective redundant. Him constantly slipping between life and death made a lot of his thoughts and actions repetitive, which, consequently, made me a bit bored and drowsy at times. But once I came to the realization that these repetitions are a product of him dying, I grasped how brilliant it all is. From that point onward, I reveled in his fascination with nature and his persistence. The story of the main character is, ultimately, miserable. He is misunderstood from his childhood and surrounded by death. Even though his birthplace provided beautiful moments, it is also, and unfortunately, a tragedy in itself.

"He realised that the curse of mothers was not merely their love, but the ropes with which their love binds its object."

A huge thank you to NetGalley, World Editions and the author for sending me an ARC of this book!1 pae267 14

It started off as Ali, in between of living and dying, found himself, his soul, at least, scattered around a funeral. He could hear and see vividly the soil piled up, the talqin, nd her loved ones sobbing around the grave. He couldn't be the one that's dead, could he? Or is hir brother?

We were then taken to jog Ali's memory; life pre-civil war. His childhood, his school-less days, his birth story, which surrounded by mystics element (he's not crying ffs). How he ended up being indebted to Humayrouna, his brother's passing, and his mother's breakdowns. Ali described his movement as flying (take it as you will), and soon, we're becoming the spectator of civil war, which started as violently surpressed protests.

The storytelling and character description are told seamlessly, with deeply empathatic characters. The emotional gripped, charged and punched you in the gut. I've reached the point of sobbing when the mother screams cathartically while being told to keep demure because she's a woman. bro, she lose a child. Yazbek's approach on Syrian conflict is powerful, being told from a kid unfit for school. Her ability of telling everything in laymen terms (think Flower of Algernon pre-smart surgery) is mind-blowing.1 Karl Verdickt117 1 follower

Over een 19 jarige soldaat die gewond is geraakt en in zijn wellicht laatste levensuren denkt aan zijn jeugd, zijn ervaringen en het leven. Samar Yazbek, de auteur van de Blauwe pen, schrijft andermaal over de wreedheid van het leven, over vernietiging en maar ook over goedheid, en over de veerkracht van de mens. De oorlog in Syrië is altijd aanwezig op de achtergrond, maar het hart van dit verhaal ligt bij de rijkdom in de eenvoud van de mensen in Syrië die gewoon hun dagdagelijks leven willen voortzetten.

Het boek is op literair vlak zeker hoogstaand. De auteur weet de gevoelens, de pijn, het rauwe van oorlog op een subtiele wijze te omschrijven zonder aan geloofwaardigheid in te boeten. Dat neemt niet weg dat het thema (een stervende soldaat die eenzaam op het front zijn leven in ogenschouw neemt) vrij zwaar overkomt. Ook de wijze waarop de auteur alles verwoordt, maakt dat je het boek niet op je gemak in een luie zetel of onder de parasol kan uitlezen. Het vergt aandacht, zelfs moed en doorzettingsvermogen om hoofdstuk na hoofdstuk te lezen en tot je laten door te dringen. Pagina na pagina zal de lezer zich steeds meer identificeren met de jonge soldaat, met zijn herinneringen, met zijn pijn, met zijn leed en.... met zijn nakend afscheid aan deze wereld. Zware kost die wel veel van de lezer vergt. Bovendien is het niet altijd eenvoudig voor de Westerse lezer om zich in de Syrische samenleving in te leven, laat staan er zich mee te identificeren. Maar ondanks alles blijft oorlog en het daarmee verbonden leed universeel!1 Lauri904 13 Read

I couldn't finish this one. It's a very short book, but I just couldn't get wrapped up in it. The overly descriptive stream of consciousness style of writing is just not for me. I made it about a third of the way and all that had happened so far was a funeral and some vague references to a civil war. I still wasn't sure if Ali is actually dead or alive yet, and I just didn't want to be in his head any longer. The writing may be well done, but it just isn't a style of writing that I enjoy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for review.did-not-finish fiction netgalley1 Ilona Plichart2 1 follower

Bijzonder, confronterend, poëtisch.1 Miki713 14

The title Where the Wind Calls Home piqued my interest because I was interested in reading Samar Yazbek—a highly praised, Syrian author—and wanted to read about a place that I know very little about. So it is with great disappointment that I announce from the outset that I wasn’t a fan of this novel. I generally don’t post negative , but I think that it’s important that the right readers know about this book and those who aren’t fans of styles such as stream-of-consciousness, avoid it and allow this book to enjoy praise from the right crowd.

The structure of the chapters are as follows: Ali, a soldier who is disoriented and confused about whether he is dead or alive, observes what is around him and what he thinks is happening. This content is written in stream-of-consciousness. Then there’s a shift in the timeline via a flashback in which Ali reflects on a part of his life in the past: an event and/or a certain person or people who are part of that memory, and at times it’s unclear why this flashback is important to the narrative. Presumably, the flashbacks are to give the reader a more comprehensive understanding of Ali—who he is, his history, and how he has come to be a soldier in the present. Flashbacks aren’t written in stream-of-consciousness. After the flashback, the reader is returned to the present where we return to stream-of-consciousness.

The content written in stream-of-consciousness (the present timeline) is focused on nature, how Ali interacts with nature, his surroundings, the supposed “Other,” where Ali is, how he got there, and if he is dead or alive. These sections are extremely repetitive and considering what—traditionally—stream-of-consciousness is meant to signify, “solipsism, the philosophical doctrine that nothing is certainly real except one’s own existence” which we the readers don’t even know for certain because we’re always held in a state of not knowing whether Ali is dead or alive is ineffectual as a writing style (David Lodge, “The Art of Fiction”). One could argue that Ali’s stream-of-consciousness is meant to reflect his state of mind, but the writing style is ineffective because it never gives the reader a better understanding of who Ali is and would have been better used in the flashbacks.

For me, the stream-of-consciousness sections weren’t effective because they ultimately didn’t add anything to the plot or character development. It ended up feeling Ali was just incoherently rambling. Perhaps that was when he died? But wait, did he actually die? Was he able to climb the tree and jump? This kind of anything-could-be-reality but also anything-could-be-Ali’s-imagination story without a more concrete division between the two and highlighting why Ali disassociates with others, lives in his own world, and feels closer with animals and natural elements I felt was a missed opportunity for readers to truly connect with Ali and feel empathy for him. Instead, I just felt a bit cold. Alternatively, if the lack of clear division between the anything-could-be-reality and anything-could-be-Ali’s-imagination could have been better implemented to tell a different story that, again, focused on Ali’s deeper understanding of who he is and his place in the world, but even those moments as they are in the story now feel only touched on but never studied.

Overall, the narrative felt fractured and two-dimensional/too surface level, especially since the narrative timeline written in the past was more engaging and informative but only towards the end, and to expect readers to commit to a short novel that doesn’t provide a solid plot and/or character development for more than half the book is asking a lot, in my humble opinion. While it’s clear that readers are meant to slowly learn about Ali through the flashbacks, I felt that the timeline in the past still didn’t offer us insight to who Ali was but rather who everyone else in his life was and what he had experienced in life, but nothing about who Ali is at his core. Yet towards the end, the flashbacks were the driving force of the story.

I am aware that my reading of this novel could be an issue with the translation. I’m also aware that is my own individual reading experience and that my opinion is clearly the unpopular one. So let me conclude with this: If you’re a reader who enjoys reading: translated fiction; stream of conscious, shorter fiction where plot, character development, or lyrical/prosaic writing are lacking; and/or war stories, then this could be for you!

In spite of my opinions, I’m very happy to see that others loved Where the Wind Calls Home written by Samar Yazbek, translated by Leri Price, and published by World Editions. Many thanks to World Editions and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of Where the Wind Calls Home in exchange for an honest review. KristianaAuthor 13 books49

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book to review.

Where the Wind Calls Home by Samar Yazbek is a non-linear narrative which embraces reliving memory. The Syrian protagonist, Ali, caught in the balance between life and death, returns to the past in an attempt to make sense of the immediate present. This return charts Ali's coming-of-age as well as his home country's descent into war. At the centre is a focus on the human cost of this war as young men are sacrificed and families are torn apart by grief.

In the beginning, Yazbek's exposition felt too dense, with repetitive description emphasising Ali's confusion as he appears to wake up in the past and present simultaneously. This lack of clarity is no doubt meant to reflect our protagonist's predicament, but it requires the reader to place trust in Yazbek's craft and at times it felt unnecessarily complicated.

But, Yazbek's storytelling is rich and the clarity we crave is eventually delivered. Ali's memories are an attempt to piece together the events which lead to the moment he and fellow soldiers were hit by a friendly-fire bomb. Yazbek's non-linear choice explores how, while Ali's conscription was swift, life as he and his family knew it had been derailing long before this.

Towards the end, Yazbek's writing is exceptionally lyrical, especially when depicting the bond between Ali and his mother, Nahla. Thus, those who enjoyed Ocean Vuong's 'Time is a Mother' will no doubt enjoy Yazbek's style here.

Those in search of a story from a non-Western perspective will also enjoy this, with Yazbek's focus on the human cost and the innocence and children lost in war being reminiscent of Khaled Hosseini's work.

And, of course, the richness of this story in English is thanks to Leri Price, whose translation captures Yazbek's intentions and homage to the Syrian people. Dima515 11

The story of Ali, who, while struggling to understand where he is in the present after what might have been a bomb that explodes next to him, is remembering momentous episodes in his life in a small mountainous village in Syria in the run up the the civil war that ravaged the country.

While essentially an anti war novel, it is also a nuanced and tender exploration of what it means to be a sensitive soul living in those conditions, and what it takes to keep it the way it is while your reality constantly tries to toughen it. It is also an homage to mothers, with a particularly memorable quote being: "the curse of mothers was not merely their love, but the ropes with which their love binds its object".

While I can't say I enjoyed this book, I am happy I read it and experienced it. It reminded me of Trumbo's Johnny Got His Gun in some ways, with more softness and care. The indictment of war is doubly powerful when it touches people who just can't understand or comprehend it.

The writing was great, and while the parr dealing with Ali's current state were a bit complex and dream, it was worth persevering.

Recommend it to anyone interested in recent Syrian history, and anyone who needs a reminder what corrupting effect war can have, especially on a country that is already somewhat corrupt.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book ahead of publication, in return for an honest opinion. karla JR311 8

This is my first contact with the author and I need to thank NetGalley for the access to this book. I the way the narrative is made in this book. Is no lineal so it made the reading a bit more interesting for me since we following memories from the character. We follow a Syrian character in the start of this book I find some bit a bit repetitive and is base in the memories of the protagonist so it sense to get confusing but it worth stick on it because I think the characters are well constructed I loved how empathetic most of them are describe and we need to remember this book isn’t just about happy memories it show what most of us don’t want to hear or see. One of the things I love most in this book is how lyrical the book can turn and for me is rare to find narratives in crafted so beautiful now days. The book isn’t easy to read we need to remember this books show you the reality, the real costo of war, the millions of life hurt and innocence’s of kids destroyed. The book was translated from the Arabic and I to think it was a great job since for me it didn’t lost the spirit of the author. The use of trees in this book is such a beautiful metaphor that it touch me when I read the book. This novel is out the 6th of the February 2024 so it worth to preorder if you think you want give the book a chance. Bree116

Thank you to NetGalley and Word Editions for providing me with an ARC.

In Samar Yazbek’s new novel, Where The Wind Calls Home, Ali, a nineteen-year-old soldier in the Syrian army, is wounded, and reflects on his life and what led him to this point. The novel shows us Ali’s memories through vignettes, and follows him through the day in which his is the sole survivor of a bomb that killed his fellow soldiers.

We find out about Ali’s life, growing up in a traditional Syrian Alawite village, and the hardships of life there amongst the Syrian civil war. Yazbek also makes the beauty of Syria and the people living there known, it’s rich cultural and religious heritage made clear by the poetic language used.

Although brief, this novel is truly beautiful – it is hard to read, but Yazbek’s every word is chosen deliberately, making this a powerful piece of fiction. The descriptions of the landscape are especially memorable, offsetting the graphic nature of the depictions of the every day realities of war.

This is a powerful, important novel that shows us what life is for soldiers in the Syrian army in unflinching detail. It is certainly impressive and memorable, and something I would definitely recommend to those interested in literary fiction from across the world. Jax203 26

The Syrian war was still a distant crisis in Ali’s impoverished mountain village, but its presence was made real by the new Graveyard of Martyrs, a reality that was replicating throughout the region. Ali was nineteen when he was recruited to protect the homeland, by the same man who had recruited his brother. Before the bomb exploded, Ali wanted only to study with the old village sheikh and commune with nature where his heart and soul lived. But that was before. Now, Ali’s body is damaged as he lies under an oak tree, piecing together what happened, drifting in and out of consciousness, in and out of the past and present in a rolling wave, questioning why his youth is now spent in these few meters between a bomb and an oak tree, what he will be after.

Told in beautiful, deeply moving prose, this story is about a family and village dragged into a battle that is not theirs, a cause that need not affect them. It is a quiet and devastating story of one young man’s introspection in the long moments before his death. A profound and necessary read.

Thank you to World Editions and NetGalley for providing this eARC.
non-fiction-general7 s4 comments Sarah Benjamin598 8

A Young Syrian soldiers lies terribly injured under an ancient trees and reminisces about his life and what led to him being in this predicament.
This is a short, a perfectly crafted novel of poetic intensity, which somehow manages to get to the heart of the atrocities of war Whilst the story is specific for the modern day war in Syria, the novel has something to say about the effects of war, wherever, and whenever it happens. Soldiers are often conscripted and always had a life before they were forced to fight. In this novel, the author shows the effect of war on not just the individual fighting man, but also on their families.

The book is translated from the Arabic and has been so beautifully translated that it seems to me that it might just as well have been written in English. The language is beautiful sparse and poetic.
The author describes a cast of characters as varied, unique and individual people, there are some very memorable characters, including the village eccentric, who takes a young boy under her wing hands, allows him to come to terms with his uniqueness
I love the place the trees have in the novel they are seen as being a permanent presence throughout the life of the young man and symbolically the site of his mortal injury. The trees have somehow somehow a protective presence, and it’s longevity shows the cycle nature of war and peace.
Novel is published, in the UK on the 6th of February 2024, by worldEditions
This review will appear on NetGalley, UK good reads and my books log, bionicSarah‘sbooks.wordpress.com Bryna Adamo152 10

Riveting and heart wrenching. The perspective and prose of this story really immerses you in the chaos of solider on the precipice of death during combat. Ali is such a provoking character as he is innocent being forced to fight in a battle that didn't touch him until he was pulled into the conflict. I was touched by overwhelming sadness for this young character who is torn apart by war, who was trying to understand why this is happening to him and longing to find his way back home. I wanted to crawl into the pages to help him, to sooth him, to protect him.
This story is about pain, loss, joy, love and the suffering one goes through for those feelings in this life. Where the Wind Calls Home is so beautifully written that I did not want to put the story down but I was so emotionally wrecked when reading that I needed to walk away at times. This story broke my heart. Beyond Book14

An interesting premise of a soldier in Syria who reflects on his life as he lies wounded. This book is written with poetic prose that digs deep into human existence and its connections with nature. It is well written and a book that would allow for in-depth discussion for book clubs and the . The story follows Ali and drifts in and out of various states of his mind. It is written in the third person, and I could not help but feel as it was so closely linked to Ali's mind and his thoughts that it would have benefited from a first person perspective.

What this book is not is informative of the troubles and history that have revolved around Syria. This was a disappointment to me as I was hoping to learn more about this area. That is not to say it is a bad book, but I feel this will be one of those Marmite pieces of literature. Mary16 6

Where the Wind Calls Home by Samar Yazbek and translated by Leri Price is heart-achingly beautiful. Ali loves the wind and nature and only wishes to follow the same path as his beloved saint. He does not quite fit into society and shies away from expectations. Outside Ali's bubble, things are changing. Other groups are forming and organizing and imposing different orders through intimidation and violence. The novel is centered on Ali who is dying under a tree. We pass dream from the present to the past and back again, ever intermingling. It made me wish we could create a better world for all the Alis.

Price is an excellent translator and has done a tremendous job supporting the ambiance of the novel through her word choices.

This was the first fiction by Samar Yazbek I have read. I previously read her non-fiction ??? ???? ????? and have tremendous respect for her work.

Many thanks to NetGalley and World Editions for an eARC of this book. Mandy3,343 302

This sort of lyrical, poetic writing just doesn’t work for me and I found it hard to relate to the narrative, poignant though it is. The book opens with a young soldier in the Syrian army lying wounded under a tree trying to remember what has happened and whether he’s dead or alive, as he can see himself being lowered into the ground in a coffin. We then read a series of vignettes of life in his village, the customs and traditions of an Alawaite community, his cultural and religious heritage, all filtered through a meandering and fractured stream-of-consciousness narrative. He reflects on his life and its meaning, and of existence in general. It’s all set against a background of the war in Syria, although it could be anywhere. The flashbacks and shifts in time and place I found tedious and I often lost concentration. Simply not my sort of book, sadly. 2 s Ting Z.360 8

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book. Where the Wind Calls Home focuses on Ali as he reflects on his life in the Syrian countryside while hanging between life and death.

While Yazbek's novel subtly and at times lyrically deals with themes of nature, community, identity, family and loss amid the backdrop of Syria's war and corruption, the prose and story as a whole comes off as endlessly rambling, needlessly detailed and overly obfuscated to me.

The novel would have been more impactful had it been more concise; with the current version, it took me nearly 4 months to muddle through such a slim book. The foundation for a good read was there, but in my opinion the execution hampered its potential.1 Moira59 1 follower

3.5 Stars of out 5.

This is a stunningly written novel which focuses on a soldier Ali in the aftermath of a bomb explosion as he reflects on his life up until this point. It portrays the damage and the destruction of families and communities brought about civil war and political unrest. Yazbek's writing is vivid, and devastating at times. It was not necessarily a book that I loved and had to come back to it on numerous occasions but I think it is an extremely powerful story that many readers will enjoy Nikki28 1 follower

A very different genre of book for me. It took me a long time to ‘get into’ this storyline. A beautifully written book, somewhat sad as it tells the story of Ali a young person with learning difficulties who just wants to do his own thing, nurture his own garde.n. The story of small villages whose sons are taken to fight a war that nobody understands. Ali is also sent to war. We are told how after being wounded his hallucinations take him to family time before the war, not always a happy time either. We are told a live his hallucinations right up to the story’s end. thesapphiccelticbookworm95 11

Thank you to Netgalley and World Editions for a copy of this book.

As Ali, a 19 year old Syrian soldier lies on the ground, he sees a body being lowered into the ground; is it his grave?

This novel weaves through vignettes of Ali's life.

The writing style wasn't my cup of tea, but I know it'll work for many others. Fernanda Granzotto622 130 Read

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

DNF 30%

I try to read this book, is not a bad book just not for me at the time, I was trying to keep reading but unfortunately I only keep putting the book on hold and not want to pick up again, maybe one day I will come back to it. Amritha79 6

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the review copy.
The writing is exceptionally melodic and very pleasant that you wish the book would never end.
Just reminded me of Khaled Hosseini's writing.

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