A mesmerizing, epic novel.
The debut novel of Iraqi-American author and filmmaker Nassery tells the saga of the troubled past of a man and his country, encompassing half a century and, in the tradition of Homer, merging stories from different perspectives.
In poetic prose, the story begins with a Chicago-based American-Iraqi man in conflict. Following 9/11 and the continuous news reports on Iraq, Salam can no longer ignore the country from which he came. Uncomfortable with the fact he has turned his back on his homeland, he embarks on a journey to seek closure. He reminisces about being a child in Iraq and a mysterious gypsy woman who would tell tales of his local village to all of the children while she watched over them. This gypsy woman tells fascinating stories of what has happened in Salam’s hometown over a period of 50 years. These tales are the highlight of the novel and are an appealing mixture of myths, fictional accounts and true stories. As a child, Salam, his siblings and his friends form such a bond with this gypsy woman that she becomes something of a surrogate mother to them. In fact, the gypsy woman is still there when, years later, Salam returns to Iraq, because she is a mirage of this magical town filled with secrets—one that will always be there. Telling the tales of Salam’s friends, the wolves, as well as the secrets of Salam’s homeland, the gypsy woman plays an integral role in Salam’s coming to terms with the dichotomy of his homeland in Iraq and his new home in the United States, and his struggle with feeling a separation from both lands. The subject matter can be heavy and the journey a lengthy one, but Nassery weaves a rich tapestry that envelopes the reader in a fully realized world. Although partly mystical and fantasy, the novel contains many gripping real accounts that coincide with documented historical facts and current events. With Iraq and its war making world news for the past several years, this intricate, deftly constructed novel will leave readers reflecting on their preconceived notions of the Middle East while it also opens the door to a new perspective and understanding of the cultures and mindset of the Iraqi people.
A mesmerizing, epic novel.Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2011
ISBN: 978-0984833603
Page Count: 617
Publisher: Armand Nassery
Review Posted Online: April 2, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
The best-selling author of tearjerkers like Angel Falls (2000) serves up yet another mountain of mush, topped off with...
Talk-show queen takes tumble as millions jeer.
Nora Bridges is a wildly popular radio spokesperson for family-first virtues, but her loyal listeners don't know that she walked out on her husband and teenaged daughters years ago and didn't look back. Now that a former lover has sold racy pix of naked Nora and horny himself to a national tabloid, her estranged daughter Ruby, an unsuccessful stand-up comic in Los Angeles, has been approached to pen a tell-all. Greedy for the fat fee she's been promised, Ruby agrees and heads for the San Juan Islands, eager to get reacquainted with the mom she plans to betray. Once in the family homestead, nasty Ruby alternately sulks and glares at her mother, who is temporarily wheelchair-bound as a result of a post-scandal car crash. Uncaring, Ruby begins writing her side of the story when she's not strolling on the beach with former sweetheart Dean Sloan, the son of wealthy socialites who basically ignored him and his gay brother Eric. Eric, now dying of cancer and also in a wheelchair, has returned to the island. This dismal threesome catch up on old times, recalling their childhood idylls on the island. After Ruby's perfect big sister Caroline shows up, there's another round of heartfelt talk. Nora gradually reveals the truth about her unloving husband and her late father's alcoholism, which led her to seek the approval of others at the cost of her own peace of mind. And so on. Ruby is aghast to discover that she doesn't know everything after all, but Dean offers her subdued comfort. Happy endings await almost everyone—except for readers of this nobly preachy snifflefest.
The best-selling author of tearjerkers like Angel Falls (2000) serves up yet another mountain of mush, topped off with syrupy platitudes about life and love.Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-609-60737-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001
A first novel, this is also a first person account of Scout's (Jean Louise) recall of the years that led to the ending of a mystery, the breaking of her brother Jem's elbow, the death of her father's enemy — and the close of childhood years. A widower, Atticus raises his children with legal dispassion and paternal intelligence, and is ably abetted by Calpurnia, the colored cook, while the Alabama town of Maycomb, in the 1930's, remains aloof to their divergence from its tribal patterns. Scout and Jem, with their summer-time companion, Dill, find their paths free from interference — but not from dangers; their curiosity about the imprisoned Boo, whose miserable past is incorporated in their play, results in a tentative friendliness; their fears of Atticus' lack of distinction is dissipated when he shoots a mad dog; his defense of a Negro accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell, is followed with avid interest and turns the rabble whites against him. Scout is the means of averting an attack on Atticus but when he loses the case it is Boo who saves Jem and Scout by killing Mayella's father when he attempts to murder them. The shadows of a beginning for black-white understanding, the persistent fight that Scout carries on against school, Jem's emergence into adulthood, Calpurnia's quiet power, and all the incidents touching on the children's "growing outward" have an attractive starchiness that keeps this southern picture pert and provocative. There is much advance interest in this book; it has been selected by the Literary Guild and Reader's Digest; it should win many friends.
Pub Date: July 11, 1960
ISBN: 0060935464
Page Count: 323
Publisher: Lippincott
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1960
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SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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