Book Review: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

I had been struggling with a pile of books that were not holding my attention and needed something I could get lost in enough to stay away from wasting time surfing the web. I spotted this book at the supermarket and brought it home with my shopping.

Where the Crawdads Sing is the story of Kya, a six-year-old abandoned by her family to the mercy of her alcoholic father out in the swamp land of Northern Carolina. The story moves back and forth in time between following Kya as she grows up and finds ways to survive and the books present day (in the late 1960’s).

The book is partly a celebration of nature, partly the story of a young women and partly a mystery. The body of Chase Andrews, one of two Kya’s suitors, is found in the swamp and police must find out how it ended up there. We follow Kya as she sees each family member leave, try to find ways to survive and forge tentative friendships, finding both love and facing intense rejection and loneliness.

You can tell this book is written by a naturalist. The descriptions of the swamp, its ecology and flora and fauna are just beautiful and woven through every page of the book. The book touches on themes of prejudice, racism and sexism.  Kya is named “Marsh Girl” and treated as an outcast as she is different – but her difference come about because of her vulnerability – her poverty, being abandoned, her shyness.

This is the author’s first novel, but she effectively brings to life small town America in the 1950’s with its cast of vaguely familiar characters: the handsome, arrogant jock, his snobbish mother, the kind black couple who help Kya.  In parts the book was a little predictable or unrealistic: we knew that Kya’s relationship with Chase wasn’t going to end well and I thought the benevolent black couple were a little conveniently placed to help Kya face her milestones (like puberty).

Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.  As much as the story, what stayed with me was the deep meditation on Kya’s loneliness. Not the kind of loneliness we experience now and again in a room of strangers, or the type we feel when we lose someone. But a devastating, enduring, pervasive loneliness that comes with abandonment, physical isolation and being left without a single family member or friend.

 

A sweet, haunting and captivating story that carried me along and finished too soon, leaving me in tears.

Book Review: The Prophets of Islam Series for Children

I was sent some books to review from a new a series created for children by The Islamic Foundation UK. There are seven in the series and I was sent four about the Prophets Sulaiman, Nuh, Ibrahim and Ismail (peace be upon them all).

The books are glossy, full colour soft cover and from the content aimed at children anywhere from babies that can be read to, up until eight or nine. The content is simple and easy to understand and focuses on important situations in the Prophet’s lives alongside lessons that could be learned rather than chronological or details biographies.

There are simple games like dot-to-dot, mazes, colouring and counting which are suitable for smaller children.  

The last page of each book has a verse from the Quran that includes a mention of the Prophet (peace be upon him) or the situation described in the book.  I was a little wary of having these in books, especially one in which children could write or colour. This being the case, I did two things: firstly, I asked my girls to treat the books with respect and care (e.g. not placing them on the ground). Secondly, I asked them to write in pencil so that lines could be rubbed out and games reused, or rubbed out and passed to another child when they were older as these are not the type of books you would dispose of.

Saying that, it is nice for the story to be followed with the ayah, helping children to understand the link between the stories and what they are learning in the Quran.

My girls enjoyed reading them and trying the games. It was nice to see them enjoy something positive that also teaches them about Islam. 

Book Review: The Ninety Nine Names of Allah by Muhammad Iqbal Siddiqi

The Ninety Nine Names of Allah by Muhammad Iqbal Siddiqi is a book I have had for many years and have often picked up in times of need or worry. My version is covered in post-its flagging names I want to come back to or have found have helped me. Over the last few days, I have picked it up and found myself hooked on trying to benefit from the treasures in it.

The book is structured to give each of Allah’s (SWT) names in Arabic and English, give it’s meaning and where it is found in the Quran.  This is followed by a commentary on what the name means and what it tells us about Allah. Then finally, in most cases, it offers the benefits of doing dhikr of that name: e.g. repeating the name Al Quddus (The Holy) 100 times daily, frees the reciter from anxiety.

In the end, I listed all of the names, how to recite them and the benefits as an easy quick reference source (feel free to save the pictures below if these are useful). The ones I am focused on at the moment are around children and internal contentment and growth.

I feel like in the short time I have been using this book as a daily source, I have greatly benefited already (my son who won’t touch house work in recent years, hoovered the house and cleaned and unblocked the bathroom sink today, I’ll gladly have more of that).  Most of all I feel content and  also more sure of myself   (Ar Rehman – 100 times after each fard salah for good memory, keen awareness and freedom from a heavy heart).

Definitely a book worth keeping at home and referring back to.

Book Review: Mythos by Stephen Fry

I grew up on myths and legends from around the world: Greek, Roman, Norse mythology, stories of Father Ananse, Baba Yaga and many others.  I have always had a weakness for a good story and anything myth and legend related still captures my attention. This being the case, this book was an easy choice for me.

I hadn’t been aware of Stephen Fry’s comments about Islam when I bought the book, or perhaps they had crossed my radar but been buried in amongst all the other criticism of Islam and Muslims that appears across various media.  I understand that his criticism is as an atheist in general and in favour of free speech, but it did feel as if Islam got singled out a little.  Perhaps the author in his anger at the way gay people are treated by some people of faith, forgot how vulnerable Muslims in a non-Muslim country, in what can feel like a hostile environment, can feel and sometimes be.

If I had been more aware of the authors comments, I probably would not have bought the book. That aside, I did enjoy it.  The book starts at the beginning with the early Greek creation myths and then works its way through the various stories to just before the great age of heroes.  The format of the book is a series of short stories telling us how the various characters in the cast of Greek mythology appeared. The stories are laced with dark humour, cynicism and alternative versions.  The author explains how the names in the myths are the foundation for modern words and how much we owe to Greek mythology for modern English.

The book could probably be easily compared to the recent Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman, a book I had an absolute blast with, and which left me both shocked and looking for more. But where that book is more engrossed in the story telling, this one takes segues all over the place with asides and explanations.

A fun, interesting and entertaining read.

Book Review: Vox by Christina Dalcher

I hadn’t come across this book or heard of it, despite it being a best seller, before seeing it in the book shop and deciding to give it a try.  It is from one of my favourite genres: dystopian sci-fi and the premise reminded me of one of my favourite books: The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Attwood.

Whereas The Handmaids Tale is set in an indeterminate future and feels frightening, but almost impossible in its portrayal of an extremely misogynistic future version of America (interestingly Attwood said that “when it first came out it was viewed as being far-fetched…However, when I wrote it I was making sure I wasn’t putting anything into it that human beings had not already done somewhere at some time”).  Vox is barely one presidential term beyond the current, real one, with a future that you could almost see happening.

Vox is set in an America where Trump has been succeeded by an evangelical Christian administration that decided women should be silent.  Women are fitted with counters on their wrist that count their words - a daily of quota of 100 words, with anything above leading to increasingly painful shocks that leave burn marks.  Jean is an expert linguistic who is forced to leave her job and teach her daughter to speak as little as possible, while her husband and sons get on with life, increasingly failing to see her frustration and accept, even enjoy the new status quo.  Jean struggles to see a way out until the Presidents brother suffers a stroke and the government seek her help in treating him.  Jean starts to see a way out and the beginnings of a resistance.

It’s almost impossible not to compare this book to The Handmaids Tale and I initially worried it would be a poor imitation.  But I was pleased to see that Dalcher’s novel followed its own path and took on a life of its own.  Whereas the future in Attwood’s book is extreme and horrifying, Vox has us believing that there are groups capable of doing these things in America right now and many that would quietly support them or tolerate them.

I was in two minds about the story until it diverted from being too similar to The Handmaids Tale, then the impossible situation and the feeling that it was too difficult and dangerous for anything to be done came to the fore.  The resolution was an absolute joy and worth reading the book for.

Book Review: The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

I read the first of Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicles trilogy, The Name of the Wind, last year for my office book club and after one of the staff in the bookshop heartily recommended it.  You can read my review here, I had a great time reading this book.  As soon as I finished it, I went looking for the second book in the trilogy, which is the one being reviewed here.

The first book follows the main character, Kvothe’s, tragic childhood, his struggle to get into wizarding university and his constant battle against poverty and his jealous enemies. This second book tells us the story of Kvothe as he learns magic, gets into a lot of trouble and then sets out into the world seeking his fortune.  Along the way we get to know Kvothe’s friends, fellow students, teachers and the girl he is in love with: Denna

The story is told by Kvothe as he looks back on his life. He freely admits that much of the legend that has grown around his life is a mixture of good luck, circumstance and some embellishment from him.  Alongside bringing back some of the characters from the first book and introducing some news one, the novel also further develops the fantasy world it is set in: the geography, the various races and their customs and the politics of the place. 

There are two additional stories that run throughout both novels.  The first is Kvothe’s hunt for the Chandrian, the mythical beings who slaughtered his parents in the first novel, both in his travels and in his research. The second is the tension in the books present day. As Kvothe tells his life’s story in the inn he now runs, people come and go with news of political unrest, war and demon attacks – something people barely even believe in.  You almost get the feeling that the three novels in the trilogy will just about bring you up to date and then the real story – the chaos that is looming, will really begin.

I did enjoy Kvothe’s escapades, but after about half way, I started to struggle.  At this point much of the book was about how Kvothe got his strength and fighting skills and took quite some time telling you about them. 

I also thought that whilst Kvothe’s character was likeable, he was a bit ridiculous at times – a clever, but weedy teenager that had girls swooning over him at every turn.  I did like how often he got into trouble and how sometimes he just didn’t care.  Some have said that the female characters in the book: Denna, his friends, his dangerous money-lender even, are a little one dimensional, I think perhaps there is something in this.

The Kingkiller chronicles have a very keen fan base, they really sing the books praises and more than once I have heard them or read them saying that these are the best books they have ever read.  Much as I enjoy fantasy, I wouldn’t go that far for these books.  I would recommend people to try the first book and only read the second if they really loved the first one enough.  The third book has been long awaited and is yet to be released, once it is, I most likely will try it.

Book Review: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Book Review: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Browsing one lunch break from work at my local bookshop, I decided to ask one of the staff there for a recommendation. He pointed out a few books he liked but there was one he positively raved about.  He mentioned that The Name of the Wind was the best book he had ever read, he had read it eight time and had bought it in languages he couldn’t even read.  I internally laughed at his serious fan-girling over the book and decided to buy it.  A week or two later, my office book club met and discussed picking another book, I mentioned that The Name of the Wind had been recommended to me and we went with that (which was good because it saved me buying another book).

So you can imagine I had high hopes for this book.  The Name of the Wind is the first in a trilogy called the Kingkiller Chronicles. The story covers the first part of the life of Kvothe: bard, great warrior and magician, told by himself.  The story has a number of strands. The first of these is about Kvothe’s early life travelling with his family as part of a nomadic troupe.  We see his precociousness and introduction to magic and the tragedy that meets his family.  A second strand is about his will to survive in the world in harsh circumstances, another is about his introduction to the University where magic is taught and yet another about his quest to find out what happened to his family. A final element that runs through the book is how people feel unsafe and anxious in the present as stories of war and dangerous roads filter through to the little inn that Kvothe has retired to.

This book made me think of a cross between Harry Potter and the Poison Study series.  Kvothe is great fun as a protagonist – intelligent, kid, flawed, angry, mischievous and always finding himself in some trouble despite his best efforts to avoid it.  The story is mostly light-hearted, but often touches on more serious issues: The prejudice that Kvothe’s family and clan face as travelers, the trauma of losing his family, the extreme poverty and violence he faces once alone, the way poverty and desperation follow him to the university, even the vulnerability of women in a male world.

I am always interested in the way fantasy writers construct their worlds – from the maps at the front of the book, to the cities, clans and customs that make up a world.  Some writers get it right (Tolkien) and others leave you feeling not quite convinced. In this case, the across the span of the book I started to get a sense of he physical place and nations or groups that inhabit Kvothe’s world, but with gaps, for instance some elements of this world feel medieval and others more modern.  The puzzle didn’t fully fit together seamlessly, perhaps the next two books will rectify this. 

There has been some criticism about the female characters in the book lacking depth and realism.  I found female characters apart from Kvothe’s mother pretty much non-existent until he gets to the university. Once there, the other female students are bright and capable, mainly positive characters, although I agree they do lack depth a bit.  Oh, and they all seem to fancy the scrawny, teenage Kvothe quite a bit – I suppose that’s the authors prerogative though, to make the protagonist desirable.

I had so much fun reading this book, Kvothe is great fun and very down to earth, his story is fascinating, fast-paced and humorous. I liked how the narrative sets his admission that he sometimes exaggerated his greatness, started rumours about himself and his skill as a bard against the epic tale he tells, so that you often wonder how accurate some of the story is.

An enjoyable, interesting and absorbing read, I went to buy the second book after reading this and also a little side story to keep me occupied until the last in the trilogy is published.

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Book Review: Alice by Christina Henry

In a mental asylum there lives a young woman committed by her family.  The screams of the inmates echo around her and her daily life is by turns brutal and monotonous. Her name is Alice and she is not sure why she is there, except for various flashbacks: of someone assaulting her, of her stabbing someone, of someone menacing with long rabbit ears.  When the asylum catches fire, Alice has the chance of escape and finding out what happened to her and how she got there.

Alice is a curious take on the Alice in Wonderland story: dark, disturbing and strange.  The world created in this book is split into the New City where Alices family lives and the Old City where she runs to find answers.  The New City is prosperous, comfortable, orderly and no one asks too many questions about the world. The Old City is full of crime and brutality and no woman is safe.  Every neighbourhood of the Old City is ruled by gangs and thugs will grab any girl or woman they can to sell to the highest bidder. There is no law, no government and no help or justice.

The book features all the famous characters from the Lewis Carroll's famous original story: the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, the Walrus and the Caterpillar, but not in a guise that will be familiar to anyone.  The characters are cruel and unredeemable in their nastiness, murdering and pimping their way through the book.

Alice’s character is both terrified of the situation she finds herself in and fuelled by the anger that erupts from her at witnessing the brutality that is visited on women and girls in the Old City. She grows in strength and courage throughout the book as she makes her way through the Old City, facing her tormentors and recovering her memories. One interesting element of the story is the idea of suppressed magic, with magicians being a thing of the past but magic surviving in strange places and in people.

Although the author spends some time revealing the back stories of the main characters as we move through the story, I would have loved to have found out how the Old City and New City came about and what the history of the banished magicians was in relation to the cities’ creation.  One of my favourite elements about fantasy and alternative worlds is the effort the author puts into their world-building and the detail and believability of this.  The dual world in Alice is believable but remains mysterious to the end of the book. 

Alice ends on an adventure as much as it brings another to a close.  I enjoyed the book and would probably read the next instalment. An entertaining, fast-paced if unchallenging read.

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Book Review: Sleeping Beauty An Islamic Tale by Fawzia Gilani

I was sent this book by Kube Publishers to review and was intrigued by the idea and the front cover.  A princess in pink…hijab.  A snake which I don’t recall featuring in the original story and what could or could not be a prince holding a bottle of something and clearly not anywhere near to kissing the princess.

On reading the book to my little girls I had a lot of fun finding the original story replaced with all sorts of Islamic references.  The party at the birth of the princess is an aqiqah.  The guests are alim’s (Islamic scholars) who come to make dua for the baby.  The villain is called Count Lahab, named after a relative of the beloved Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) that is not loved by Muslims.

I liked also that the book focusses on the good character of the princess who rejects all of the princes that come to ask for her hand in marriage in favour of an orphan boy of kind nature and good character.  The princess’s protector in the palace is a tall woman in green abayah with a bow and arrow, the happy ever after wedding is actually a walima.

As the story unfolds we find it is the princesses husband not a prince that must help her, we are reminded that cure is from Allah (SWT) not from anything else.

The illustrations are vivid, I liked most the illustrations of the princess herself, abaya, hijab and all and also the theme of pink roses running throughout. The book was a little long to read aloud in one go to the babies, maybe a better option to read over a few nights, certainly it would hold the interest of an older, independent reader.

An intriguing, fun story with some positive messages for little Muslims. I have seen Snow White and Cinderella by the same author and wouldn’t mind checking these out to see how the author has put an Islamic spin on them.

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Book Review: Yan’s Hajj, The Journey of a Lifetime by Fawzia Gilani

I like to keep an eye out for Islamic books for children for a number of reasons: increasing their Islamic knowledge, a means of normalising Islamic language, behaviours and dress, creating positive role models and teaching about good deeds.

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Yan’sHajj falls into the last two categories.  Yan is a poor farmer who works hard to save money to go to Hajj.  Every time he sets out he finds someone on the way who is more in need of the money than himself and uses it to help.  Each time he saves the money, he is a little older and finds it a little harder to save enough.  By the end of the book he has helped build a school, helped build a masjid and rescued and raised an orphan.  By this time he is also too old to earn enough to ever get to Makkah to perform his hajj – will he ever get to the house of Allah (SWT)?

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In the book, Yan’s good deeds came back to help him on his way in one last attempt at this special journey of a lifetime, which has actually taken a lifetime.

This is a clearly written book, with the goodness of Yan and his love of Allah (SWT) evident on every page.  The drawings are simple, but I enjoyed seeing how Yan aged through each event in the book.

What stood out though was the beautiful message of the book.  I loved how Yan put the needs of others before himself at every turn. He loved Allah (SWT) and longed to visit his house, but he could not see others in difficulty and walk away to the extent that he was ready to sacrifice his precious dream to helps others.

This is probably one of the best children’s books I have come across.  The story is wonderful and I choked up as I read it to my children, struggling to keep my voice level by the time I got to the end.  It’s one I would read to my little ones again and again.  I know there are good people like Yan in this world and I hope that this book inspires my children to be amongst them. 

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Book Review: Its Jummah! by Najia Rastgar and Lyazzat Mukhangaliyeva

Growing up Friday was always a special day in my home.  There were particular rituals and actions  for the day – My dad dressed in pure white salwar kameez for Jummah (Friday), the house scented with his attar and any new clothes we bought were saved for Friday for their first wear.  I have tried to replicate this feeling of a special day of the week with my children. 

It’s Jummah! is a board book for babies that tries to share a few Sunnah and etiquettes of Friday for Muslims. It is the first in a series of books by the authors that’s aims to combine Islamic knowledge and pre-Montessori education (like shapes, colours, fruits and vegetables, etc.), so babies can learn them both at the same time.

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The book uses very simple language and beautiful high-contrast illustrations for smaller children. I really liked that it helps us to introduce Islam to smaller children with easy instructions for Friday like having a bath, cutting our nails, wearing our best clothes and reciting Quran.

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My little girls enjoyed the book, it is aimed at slightly smaller children than my three and five year olds but it was a nice little resource for me to teach them about the sunnaan of Friday and to test them by asking questions.

The writers say they plan to translate the books into Urdu, Kazakh, Russian, Arabic, Bengali, and other languages in futures, I think these would make nice little books to get started with teaching little ones another language.  I look forward to see what else come forth from this series.

Book Review: The Muslims by Zanib Miah

When my older children were quite small, I used to buy them books with an Islamic theme, not necessary just instructional, but often something to motivate and inspire: colourful picture books with stories from the lives of the Prophets (peace be upon them) and the Sahabah (companions of the Prophet - may Allah be pleased with them).

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As they have gotten older they have lost interest a little for more mainstream books which perhaps they find a little more entertaining.  Both of my boys are fans of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, Zanib Miah’s The Muslims is in a similar style.

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The book follows our loveable, cheeky but slightly disaster-prone young protagonist Omar, as he introduces us to his very likeable family and moves to a new school.  The book is funny, but not always fun.  Omar gets into plenty of escapades, but unlike the light-heartedness of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Muslims touches gently on deeper themes of how children cope with change, in this case with an imaginary dragon that grows and shrinks as his worries do.  The book also deals with bullying, in this case because Omar is a Muslim.

In an interviewpublished late last year on Happy Muslim Mama, Zanib Miah described how she wrote her book The Muslims in response to the surge of faith-based bullying as, reported by Child Line and the NSPCC.

Interestingly it also touches on how children pick up on the worries from things happening around them – for instance, his fear that all Muslims and Asians could have to leave the country.  This was something I have had conversations about with my children in the past after Brexit and other events that they have picked up on.

This makes the book sound very heavy for a child, but in fact these things are dealt with, with a very light touch.  The book is written from a child’s point of view with illustrations that are almost comic-like.

My favourite parts were those that included the neighbour who started off calling the family “The Muslims” (hence the name of the book) and eventually is won around enough to invite herself to their iftar meals and join in the countdown to Biryani (where she feeds Omar alcoholic chocolates)

I like that the book weaves Omar’s faith into his daily life in the way Islam does in real life for Muslims.  Sometimes this centres on their daily routine, like the way they celebrate Ramadan and Eid and sometimes through his actions, in the way he makes dua (supplication) when he is in trouble.

And the important verdict?  Both my boys utterly loved this book and both said they would read more instalments if they could get them.

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Happy Muslim Mama Author Interview with Zanib Miah

Book Review: My First Book about the Qur’an by Sara Khan

My First Book about the Qur’an tackles the weighty issue of the beginning of creation in the Muslim scripture and the role of the Quran in our lives, but for an audience of small children.  The book takes us through the creation of the heavens and the earth, the elements, the animals and humans.  It highlights the beauty of all of creation and the uniqueness of human beings.  It then comes to the books of Allah (SWT) and how they teach us to live good lives, for instance by telling us to care for our parents, be good to our neighbours and take care of the earth.  It touches on the five pillars, mentions family life and ends with the promise of Jannah.  The last pages of the book contain some simple facts about the Quran and some questions and answers.

It is a solid little board book of a nice size that can be handled by the smallest hands.  The different things mentioned in the book act as a nice starting point for lots of conversations with your little one.  The illustrations are what really stood out for me, they really are beautiful and very high quality – with bright washes of colour and lovely drawings on every page.

The book reminded me of one or two books my older children had when they were younger, books about creation and where the world came from, but this is of a higher quality and aimed at smaller children (2+).  My two and four year old girls enjoyed having it read to them and looking at the pictures alone.  Darling (aged four) liked the page with the wedding, Baby (aged two) was fascinated with the pictures.  Gorgeous (ten) decided to take a look and remarked that many of the facts in the back of the book would not be known to some adults.  It was a little reminder of how important it is to start learning about the message of the Quran from a young age and as the first step of a life long journey.

You can buy the book here or here on Amazon and learn more on Facebook or Twitter

Book Review: #BabyLove: My Toddler Life by Corine Dehghanpisheh

Mums will be familiar with the ability of babies to hone in on their mobile phones, utterly fascinated, or sometimes just using it as a teether.  My Toddler Life incorporates this fascination by babies into its narrative.  The book follows a small child through the eyes of his mother, or more accurately the frame of her phone as they play and makes memories.

 The little one is shown counting, colouring and making music with mum recording the fun and sharing.  This is until he is tempted by him mum’s phone.  Knowing he mustn’t touch but unable to resist, he takes the phone and tries taking selfies and pictures of the dog before dropping the phone and getting scared.  Mum handles he situation with love and utmost gentleness, encouraging him to apologise.

This is a good sized, glossy soft book, more suited to reading to a child than letting them handle it.  Slightly older children who understand how to take care of a book might also enjoy it.  The pictures are bold and colourful and easy on the eye for a little one, I really liked the expressions and actions of the dog throughout the book.  I liked that the prose is written in rhyme, making it more pleasurable to read.  The book does have a lot of pages, so takes a bit of time to get through when reading out loud.

I wondered if the book would be judgemental, as people so often are when parents use their smart phones, but there was no preachy message about putting your phone down, instead the book ends with the mum sharing her special moments on the phone, hugging her little one, then outing her phone down to play with her child.