Ioanna

“Hoping, I'm starting to think, might be the bravest thing a person can do.”

I had to take a few days before being able to formulate a review for this wonderful book. I stumbled upon it on the list LAPL Arab American Heritage Month selection, and am so thankful I picked it.

One of the strengths of this novel is its ability to balance the light and the dark, the joyful and the sorrowful. Warga infuses the story with moments of humor, love, and hope, making it a heartwarming and uplifting read despite the tough subject matter.

Even more so for a reader like me, who is from the region, familiar with some of these feelings, having experienced them to a certain degree as an adult trying to find my place in the USA.

The characters are multidimensional and relatable, and Jude's voice is authentic and endearing. The author tackles such heavy themes: racism, xenophobia, and the Syrian refugee crisis with sensitivity and nuance. It's a powerful reminder that home is not just a physical place, but a sense of self, a feeling of connection, and a community that accepts you for who you are.

“I search every day for a clue about why I deserve to be here in Aunt Michelle's kitchen, safe and fed. When so many others just like me are not. Lucky. I am learning how to say it over and over again in English. I am learning how it tastes— sweet with promise and bitter with responsibility.”

This year's favorite read <3

This book was such a fun read! It was our bookclub read, and well, i wil be reading the next volumes of the series to make the month go by <3

As a historical fiction set within the suffragette movement, you know you're going to be dealing with a lot of sexism, true for the times. However, this is delicately portrayed. Anabelle and Sebastian are a very lovable couple.

Parts of it feel like hanging out with friends, and parts of it are a gut punch when you think of all the advances that have been made in women's rights and how much there is more to do.

“Perhaps you can explain it to me, then,” she said, “how is it fair that my utterly inept cousin is in command of me, for no reason other than that he's a man and I'm a woman? How is it fair that I master Latin and Greek as well as any man at Oxford, yet I am taught over a baker's shop? How is it fair that a man can tell me my brain was wired wrong, when his main achievement in life seems to be his birth into a life of privilege? And why do I have to beg a man to please make it his interest that I, too, may vote on the laws that govern my life every day?” This part resonated with me.

This book... I have cried so many tears over seemingly insignificant details that resonated so much with my fellow transplant heart.
The audiobook felt like we were just visiting, sharing stories around a meal or a few. The author is an amazing storyteller, and I'm thankful for sharing that part of himself with the world. His Baba Haji would be proud!

Loved it!

Great read to start the year with, especially after not being able to read much in 2020. Can't wait for the author's next book!