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Book of Sands by Karim Alrawi (HarperAvenue $29.99)
Review by James Paley
Karim alrawi's Book of Sands revisits the protests and the demonstrations that erupted in Cairo that led to the ousting of Hosni Mubarak.
Alrawi, now a Vancouverite, was born in Alexandria, Egypt but his descriptions of the lingering acrid smell of tear gas can only mean he has been inspired by events at Tahrir Square.
In Book of Sands we meet Tarek, a puppeteer, who is trying to keep his family together.
The protests are frequently mentioned, but the novel's focus is always on the immediate entanglements of family and obligation.
Tarek only visits Tahrir Square, the central protest location, once for less than one hour, searching for a friend's son, but it turns out to be his undoing.
Tarek must flee the city as the political struggle for democracy fades to white noise.
Tarek tells his daughter fables which, unbeknownst to her, are based on real events, in the real world. We never know the extent to which Tarek has embellished his tales.
Gradually we learn that the birth of his daughter and meeting his wife-events that occurred in that order-would not have happened without his youthful dissonance and rebellion.
Tarek's personal struggle never gets grandiose or analogous to the fighters in the city square. He simply wants survival.
Some characters in Book of Sands grip God too tight, such as his brother-in-law, Omar; others favour science and rationalism.
Tarek was originally a mathematician, but after having been wrongfully imprisoned for attending a protest, he has switched to being a puppeteer, chiefly in order to cement the bonds of love with his daughter, Neda.
Halfway through the novel, Neda wakes from a nightmare to see swarms of birds flying out of the mouths of mourners.
Similarly, while drinking arak and smoking bango, Corporal Aboud hallucinates while looking at a fire. The flames and smoke coalesce into hyenas. The pack of hyenas proceed to obliterate an entire household.
We never learn whether these fantastic events were imagined or experienced.
Every setting in book of sands carries the fresh imprint of violence. The novel succeeds in capturing the beauty and violence of a whole movement in one family's story. You fear for these people's safety, yet you believe in their ability to succeed.
Alrawi has also written for BBC radio. 978-1-44343-445-4
James Paley is a Douglas College student in Professional Communication.
Karim alrawi's Book of Sands revisits the protests and the demonstrations that erupted in Cairo that led to the ousting of Hosni Mubarak.
Alrawi, now a Vancouverite, was born in Alexandria, Egypt but his descriptions of the lingering acrid smell of tear gas can only mean he has been inspired by events at Tahrir Square.
In Book of Sands we meet Tarek, a puppeteer, who is trying to keep his family together.
The protests are frequently mentioned, but the novel's focus is always on the immediate entanglements of family and obligation.
Tarek only visits Tahrir Square, the central protest location, once for less than one hour, searching for a friend's son, but it turns out to be his undoing.
Tarek must flee the city as the political struggle for democracy fades to white noise.
Tarek tells his daughter fables which, unbeknownst to her, are based on real events, in the real world. We never know the extent to which Tarek has embellished his tales.
Gradually we learn that the birth of his daughter and meeting his wife-events that occurred in that order-would not have happened without his youthful dissonance and rebellion.
Tarek's personal struggle never gets grandiose or analogous to the fighters in the city square. He simply wants survival.
Some characters in Book of Sands grip God too tight, such as his brother-in-law, Omar; others favour science and rationalism.
Tarek was originally a mathematician, but after having been wrongfully imprisoned for attending a protest, he has switched to being a puppeteer, chiefly in order to cement the bonds of love with his daughter, Neda.
Halfway through the novel, Neda wakes from a nightmare to see swarms of birds flying out of the mouths of mourners.
Similarly, while drinking arak and smoking bango, Corporal Aboud hallucinates while looking at a fire. The flames and smoke coalesce into hyenas. The pack of hyenas proceed to obliterate an entire household.
We never learn whether these fantastic events were imagined or experienced.
Every setting in book of sands carries the fresh imprint of violence. The novel succeeds in capturing the beauty and violence of a whole movement in one family's story. You fear for these people's safety, yet you believe in their ability to succeed.
Alrawi has also written for BBC radio. 978-1-44343-445-4
James Paley is a Douglas College student in Professional Communication.
Submitted on September 5, 2016 in By David.
