Small town girl, fairly affluent, educated, not much trauma has ever existed within the confines of my world. But I am very aware the lives of some spin constantly in turmoil and destruction and oftentimes, we are unaware of their plights. I know very little beyond the stories the news reports of the lives of people in war torn countries. So this month, with the book And the Mountains Echoed by Khlaed Hossani, being the inspiration, I sought out other books set in the Middle East or in a war torn country in Africa.
As And Mountains Echoed was a work of fiction, the other two works were biographies. My favorite, was And Mountains Echoed. Although I enjoyed Kite Runner, his debut novel, I think I enjoyed this one even better. And Mountains Echoed was a sweeping novel over the course of three generations and several different countries. It begins in Afghanistan with a father, his daughter and son as the father brings his young daughter to another couple. As that family is torn apart, the novel continues following the different family members, their extended family, and those who have an influence in their lives. The ending is rather bittersweet ever though I was hoping for the happy ending. The prose is wonderful and engaging. At times, following the characters was a bit tough but it is still such a wonderful book. I was engaged to the end and really enjoyed the book. Definitely worth a read. It begins in a world of fairy tales but situates itself in our world and is simply captivating. I loved it!
What is the What by Dave Eggers was my second choice of a novel. It is a fictional biography based on the life of a Lost Boy in Sudan who was rescued and brought to the United States. It is only called fiction because his memories cannot be absolute at such a young age. I had heard of the plight of those in Sudan but had not known much about it. I enjoyed the book to a point. I thought it was an interesting way of how he began the book with telling of the night he was robbed while living in the United States and then he began to tell his story to the boy who was posted by his robbers as his guard. However, I felt like there was too much jumping around and it didn't go in a logical order which normally I don't mind but for some reason, I just wasn't a fan of how it was written despite it being an interesting tale.
The last book I read was My Prison, My Home by Haleh Esfandiari. It tells her story of going back to Iran on holiday to visit her mother and finding herself taken by the Iranian Secret Police, interrogated and eventually put into prison under the suspicion of plotting something against Iran. I found her story vastly fascinating and captivating. It was amazing to read of how the Secret Police operated, how they tried to find some act of treason where there was no treason to be found. It was well written and very interesting. I appreciated how much background she put into the book as I did not know much about Iran. Oftentimes, I think I had just considered Iran and Iraq to be very similar in their political outlook as well as relationship with the United States but that had not always been the case. It's a hard read to get through when learning about her struggle and the emotions she dealt with but it is so worth a read.
Hearing other people's stories has always intrigued me and reading stories of people in other countries whose lives and experiences are very different than my own is wonderful in expanded my own world view. These three works I read this month, allowed me to experience life in the Middle East and Africa in a way I hadn't previous. Two of them were excellent and definitely recommended.
So novels of hardship and war, time for something a bit lighter hopefully. I'm thinking quirky novels. Perhaps some John Green . . .
And Mountains Echoed- Khlaed Hossani
What is the What- Dave Eggers
My Prison, My Home - Haleh Esfandiari
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