Review: A Place for Us (by Fatima Farheen Mirza)

My Rating:  5 stars

 

How could I not give 5 stars to a book that touched me so deeply and resonated with me in such a way that closing the cover after reaching the end of this poignant story made me feel like I was leaving a part of myself behind?   This is the third book I’ve read so far this year that broke my heart and moved me to the point of tears, but the first one where I experienced such a deep connection emotionally that, upon finishing the book, I felt utterly depleted, as though the wind had been knocked out of me.  Even now, as I attempt to put into words how I feel about this astoundingly beautiful debut novel, I am struggling because nothing I write will do justice to how good this book was and the profound impact it had on me.  It is not often that I am rendered essentially speechless after reading a book and have to fight hard to gather my thoughts as well as express them in a somewhat coherent manner – yes, THIS book had THAT type of effect on me.

Even though I do not share the same culture or religion as the family at the center of this story, I am blown away by how strongly I was still able to relate to each of the characters as well as how similar our experiences were on so many levels.  Indeed, this was one of the most unique aspects of this book and absolutely a reflection of the author Fatima Farheen Mirza’s immense literary talent – I was floored by the author’s ability to explore with such depth the complexities of family dynamics against the backdrop of one particular culture and religion, yet still make the story so universally resonant with those of us who may not share the same beliefs.  Mirza’s writing is exquisite, beautiful, emotionally nuanced to the point that it draws you in from the very first page, grabs a hold of your heart, and never lets go.  This is the kind of writing that is quiet and subtle, yet rich in its coverage of the topics that matter – family dynamics, culture and tradition, community, religion, identity and belonging.  Each character was so tenderly and gently drawn at the hands of this talented writer, yet the portrayal was so realistic and authentic that there were many moments where I felt I was reading about a real Indian-American Muslim family learning to exist in a world where the culture was so different from their own.

This was a family I grew to love – the parents Rafiq and Layla, their two daughters Hadia and Huda, and the youngest, their only son Amar whose path, even as early as birth, was already rocky and perhaps destined to “not fit in” with the norm.   I love how the story alternated between each character’s point of view -- the same events, life moments at times told from a different character’s perspective, the differences in interpretation of each other’s words, actions, facial expressions, body language, and how all these nuances in each character’s interactions with one another trigger a myriad of reactions and decisions that eventually altered the course of their lives, for better or for worse.  As the story progressed and I got to delve deep into the thoughts and feelings of each character, I began to see a little bit of myself in each of the siblings and it was at that point that I knew this book would affect me on personal level.  I resonated with eldest sister Hadia – the part of her that was studious, responsible, obedient, the rock in the family who can always be counted on to do the right thing, to follow the right path, to sacrifice her wants and desires in order to fulfill the obligations expected of her – I completely understood the inner conflict she had to go through in trying to reconcile her genuine love and affection for her family with the feelings of resentment and constant yearning for recognition and praise from her parents that, at times, got the better of her and influenced her decisions.  I connected with middle sister Huda – the sibling who was most self-assured and comfortable in her own shoes, who was the voice of reason, who wore her heart on her sleeve and was never afraid to tell things like it is, to be up front and direct, to admonish her siblings when they screw up, yet in times of need, stand loyally by their side and be that shoulder to cry on or that source of comfort during moments of despair.  And yes, I absolutely resonated with Amar – the wayward son, the baby of the family, the sensitive soul who always felt everything so deeply, who was kind-hearted but rebellious, the apple of his mother’s eye and the sibling who received the most outward love and attention, well-liked by everyone in the community, yet he was the one who struggled the most with his “place” in the world and felt that he never truly “belonged,” a young man constantly striving for acceptance, self-worth, identity.

The last part of the story, told entirely from the father Rafiq’s point of view, very nearly broke me – from the first page of that section, the tears flowed non-stop and by the end, I was outright crying.  Hearing the narrative and many of the same defining moments from the earlier sections, this time told from the father’s first person perspective -- the one character who had remained silent for the most part throughout majority of the story finally giving his account – it was stirring and powerful, heartfelt and inspiring, yet at the same time tremendously heart-breaking.  It made me think about my own relationship with my parents, the many arguments we’ve had over the years, and reminded me how fragile family relationships can be, how a family can love each other deeply yet make decisions in each other’s best interests that end up hurting each other the most.  This last section brought the story full circle and was particularly thought-provoking, albeit emotionally draining.

Many reviews out there have sung the praises of this book and rightfully so!  There isn’t much I can add that hasn’t already been eloquently stated by others so I won’t attempt to put all my thoughts here but just know that even now, a day after finishing this book, I am still thinking about it, revisiting certain scenes and allowing Mirza’s beautifully written words to once again flow through my mind.  This one is highly recommended, without a doubt! 

Received ARC from SJP for Hogarth via Penguin First to Read program.

Review: Jar of Hearts (by Jennifer Hillier)

 My Rating:  4 stars

Technically, this one falls somewhere between 4 and 4.5 stars for me.  To start off, I will say that yes, this is yet another excellent, well-written suspense thriller, one that hooked me from the start and had me turning pages breathlessly as the plot unfolded from one chapter to the next.  However one of the things that set this one apart from other thrillers for me was that this one went quite a bit deeper into  several very important societal and moral issues that actually left me some “food for thought” when all was said and done (sorry if I’m being vague, as I don’t want to spoil things for those who haven’t read this one).  For this reason, I feel that this book would make a good group or buddy read, as there are definitely a few things worthy of discussion here.

This review will be shorter than most of the ones I write, as I’m trying to refrain from saying too much because this is definitely one of those books where you should go into it knowing as little as possible.  Unlike a few of the other thrillers I’ve read the past few months, this one didn’t have a lot of twists and turns -- there was basically only one major reveal at the end (which I definitely hadn’t seen coming).  From the first page, the author Jennifer Hillier took her time revealing parts of the plot, with things getting more complicated as the story built up chapter by chapter, yet at no point did I feel that the story was slow – in fact, this one was so fast-paced and engaging that I found it difficult to pry myself away even for a few minutes.  I actually had pockets of time throughout the day to read this one and when I was forced to put the book down briefly to tend to other things, I couldn’t help thinking about it still and wanting to get back to it as quickly as possible – goes to show how much I truly enjoyed this one!

One thing I do have to mention is that this thriller was actually a lot darker and grittier than what I usually read and it was also more graphic than I expected, though the scenes were brief enough and didn’t dwell on too much detail so it was still within acceptable level for me.  This one was definitely more intense than other thrillers though and I would go so far as to say that it’s not for the faint of heart, so just be aware before picking this one up.  The one complaint that I had was that the ending felt a bit rushed, which was a little disappointing given that the author had done such a great job seamlessly laying out the plot and making me invested in the characters.  While I would consider the ending satisfying in terms of closure, I still felt like I had missed a significant chunk of the story when it jumped from the “ending” to the epilogue that obviously took place way later.  In the grand scheme of things however, I would say that this is a minor complaint and didn’t affect too much my overall enjoyment of the book.  This one is definitely recommended, especially for thriller fans who are looking for a read that is a step above in terms of others in the same genre. 

Received ARC from Minotaur Books / St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

Review: The Madonna of the Mountains (by Elise Valmorbida)

 My Rating:  4 stars

This is the third book I’ve read so far this year that takes place in Italy – this time around, the setting is in the mountains and later in the countryside, during a tumultuous time period starting not long after the end of the Great War and spanning through the Second World War.  It is the story of Maria Vittoria, an ordinary woman who grows up in a respectable, devoutly religious family in the Italian mountains and follows her life through marriage, the birth of her children, and later her struggle for her own survival as well as that of her family during the war.  Maria is a fascinating character, but one that I had mixed feelings toward throughout the story.  I admired and respected Maria’s strength of character and conviction, her fortitude and steadfast devotion to her family, protecting them at all costs and through all means possible, and also her ability to take charge during times of crisis -- yet at times, I could not help feeling frustrated at her stubbornness and strict adherence to oppressive rules and traditions during certain critical moments.  I had to constantly remind myself that this was a different time and place – a time of war in a heavily patriarchal society where women had strictly defined roles and the ultimate goal was survival as well as preservation of family and kin.  Given the circumstances and the time period in which she lived, Maria fulfilled the expectations placed upon her and then some – first as daughter and sister, later as wife and mother.  Of course she was by no means perfect -- she had to make so many tough decisions and though my modern sensibilities made it difficult for me to agree with some of the actions she took, I admired her strength and resolve as well as her unrelenting devotion in making the best of what she had for her family.

At 300+ pages, I wouldn’t consider this a particularly long book, yet it covered so much ground in terms of subject matter.  The story itself I felt was at times quiet and subtle, as we got to dive deep into Maria’s innermost thoughts, especially those projected through the words of the Madonna (the statue she kept devotedly by her side throughout her life).  At the same time though, the tumultuous time period against which this story was set – the backdrop of war, political struggle, societal concerns, kinship and family relationships, etc. – also made the story feel epic, a sweeping family saga as the book’s summary states.  The writing was beautiful and incredibly atmospheric in its description of the mountains and the Italian countryside as well as the various scenes of the family’s everyday life (for instance, the section about Amelia’s silkworms and the entire silk-making process).

In general, I like to read across different genres and have made a personal goal for myself to read widely and diversely (which I am happy to report has been going extremely well) – with that said though, historical fiction has a special place in my heart and this book is definitely a worthwhile read in that category.  I don’t know much about the author Elise Valmorbida nor have I read any of her previous works, but after reading this book, I am inclined to change that soon.  I definitely recommend picking this one up and letting yourself be transported by this well-written family saga!

Received ARC from Spiegel & Grau / Random House via NetGalley.