My Rating: 5 stars
Whenever I feel compelled to finish a really long book in around 2-3 days, especially during a particularly busy work week where I already don't have much time to read in the first place, that's usually a pretty good sign that the book will probably turn out to be one I really like. This was certainly the case with Nadia Hashimi's newest release Sparks Like Stars, her third book set in her parents' home country of Afghanistan. Given its page count (464 pages) and difficult subject matter, this would not have been an easy or quick read by any means — yet as soon as I started reading, from the very first page, this beautifully written story captivated me to the point that I didn't want to put the book down (and whenever I was forced to put it down in order to tend to personal matters, I wanted to get back to it as soon as possible). The characters in here were all realistically rendered, even those appearing briefly, but it is the main protagonist Sitara (later renamed Aryana), whose journey we follow starting when she is 10 years old and then later in adulthood, who truly captured my heart. As the narrative was told from Sitara's first person point of view, this perspective made her experiences and everything she went through so much more heartfelt, which in turn, made this a powerful, emotional read from beginning to end. Sitara is an unforgettable character – one whom I was able to connect easily with and also root for.
One of the things I love and appreciate about historical fiction is its ability to help us learn about people, places, and events that we may not have been familiar with previously. This was certainly the case here with the portrayal of Afghanistan as a place as well as a character in the story. Like many Americans, I only know of Afghanistan because of 9/11, when the country was thrust tragically and unwillingly into the spotlight, but its trajectory prior to that — the history of imperialism and colonialism that defined much of its existence, the historical events such as the Communist coup in 1978 that killed the country's President as well as his entire family — much of this was completely unknown to me prior to this point. I appreciated the way Hashimi divided the story into two timelines — with the first half taking place in 1978 and the second half in 2008 — and how things evolve over the span of 30 years. In her Author's Note, Hashimi explains that, while Sitara is a purely fictional character and the story is not based on her own life nor that of her family's, she did incorporate some of her personal experiences into shaping the character — for example, Hashimi's own experience as an Afghan American doctor who lived and worked in New York when 9/11 happened — which perhaps is why she was able to bring the emotional nuances of Sitara as a character to life.
As I mentioned earlier, this is not an easy read by any means — it is a sad and heartbreaking story of an innocent life torn apart by tragedy and senseless violence, of the guilt felt by those left behind, and the long-lasting impact it has on their lives. At the same time though, it is also a story of survival, resilience, and ultimately, hope. This is definitely a story worth reading — one that I know will stay with me for a long time to come. And as the best works of historical fiction usually do, after I finished reading, I felt compelled to follow up and research the real life events that were a source of inspiration for the story.
This is the first book of Hashimi's that I've read and immediately after I finished, I put both of her backlist books on my TBR to hopefully get to soon. If you get the chance to pick this one up first though, I definitely recommend it!
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