Lovers torn apart by human conflict, it’s aftermath and consequences is a tale as old as time but this is the first ‘modern day’ tale I have read.
I found it very readable apart from some over-flowery prose but I didn’t find it a satisfying read.
I struggled with the mixed concept of migration and immigration/emigration. I suppose the message is meant to convey that both birds and humans are in danger of having ‘no land to light on’ but migration is a temporary movement whereas immigration/emigration is intended to be permanent. Notwithstanding that, I did appreciate the insights into migratory birds.
I also struggled with practicalities. How easy it seemed to travel and maintain communication with no real knowledge about how this was funded. Did Sama have medical insurance? Was it really that easy to telephone people in Syria at that time? I don’t know.
It also made me wonder if separation in a modern world is really any better than it was in times gone by. For example, how cruel to have the option to contact someone and to choose not to as Sama does.
Finally, I struggled to find the source of the Michael Ondaatje quote. I eventually found that it was from an introduction that he wrote to a short story collection by Mavis Gallant.
The fuller quote is:
“all [Gallant’s] characters are seemingly far from home. They belong, to be honest, nowhere. Most of them are permanent wanderers, though a nomadic fate was not part of their original intent. With no land to light on, they look back without nostalgia, and look forward with frayed hope.”
This helps me to understand what parallels the author is trying to draw and to better accept what was initially an unsatisfying ending.
Thank you to Readers First, Allen & Unwin and Yara Zgheib for the ARC in return for my honest review.