Welcome to Litsy!

You can ban books but you can‘t ban people‘s imagination. That‘s the takeaway for me from this super original novel. It‘s the story of a book censor in a dystopian future who can‘t resist the books he has to read - and ban. Distracted by rabbits with watches the book turns into a kind of Alice in Wonderland like story. The censor and I as a reader had no idea what was real or what wasn‘t. A good book from this Kuwait author.

I read the NBA longlists because I know I‘ll read some really great books. And if I‘m lucky, I‘ll come across one that‘s extraordinary. And that‘s this one. This book explores book banning and the fight against it in a way that has lightness and whimsy. I loved this book. One of my best of the year for sure.

NBA longlist, translated literature

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The way this book is structured has really left me in awe. It's incredibly thoughtful.

Each chapter of this book is told from a different family member and in each chapter we hop forward in time a couple of years. We see snippets of the Israeli 6 day war on Egypt, Syria and Palestine. Iraq invading Kuwait. Israel bombing Lebanon. We see moments but it's in the gaps, what's unseen and unsaid that it's going to keep me awake tonight.

A book club read which I probably wouldn't have chosen but very pleased to have been pushed to read it! At times quite tough content but nicely written with a different family member writing each chapter over about 50 years. The story of displacement and not feeling belonging in your place. Poignant to read against thr current Middle East war.

This book had me looking up maps of the Middle East. It‘s a fictional story of a displaced Palestinian family from the points of view of multiple characters, over several generations. It‘s a good thing there was a family tree included in this book!

The foreshadowing is just amazing. #jamesbaker #persiangulf #war #iraq #americanhistory #worldhistory #themanwhoranwashington #peterbaker #susanglasser #iraqwar #kuwait

#DecemberDreams Day 15: There is a #Sparkle to this book despite its grim theme of dispossession and displacement and disenfranchisement. There is still the distinct and defiant sense of self that shimmers and shines.

#DecemberDreams Day 12: A lot of haunting #Memories shared and made in this multigenerational novel that is matrilineal in nature.

#DecemberDreams Day 11: Let us all pray for #Peace in the region and everywhere else in the world where there is strife and unrest. 🕊️Paired with bibingka with salted egg and hot chocolate - perfect while we are in the Philippines.