Leila AboulelaRessenyes

After the untimely death of her husband, Sammar sent her infant boy back to her family in Sudan and stayed in Aberdeen, Scotland, trying to knit her life back together while grieving and working as a translator. One of the professors she often works with is Rae, an Islamic scholar who understand her religion and the way she thinks. It is almost inevitable that the two of them will try to find a way towards each other. Except that for Sammar, Islam is her life - she is born to be a wife and she is Muslim first and anything else after that. Rae on the other hand studies and understands it - but does not believe and does not want to convert (and have a lot of valid reasons besides the fact that he simply does not believe).

That could have been the setup for a wonderful slow burn of a novel. Using the two different settings for the two parts of the novel (the cold Aberdeen and the sunny Sudan) add even more to the feeling of separation. Sammar and Rae do not seem to have anything in common and yet, their connection is there - even when they both deny it. Except that Sammar is unwilling to change and consider anything but what she thinks is right - even if that means never seeing Rae again.

And herein lies the problem. Had the roles been reversed, with the man insisting on his faith and his way and the woman being expected to submit to it and change, the novel would have probably never been published. Writing the novel this way, with Sammar essentially filling that cliched male role of past romance novels, diminishes the power of the novel considerably. It could have been an exploration of faith and religion (not even remotely the same except in Sammar's thinking) and of finding a way to bridge the differences between cultures. Instead it ended up a reversed romance cliche more than anything.

The writing is good and there are a lot of well-written and well-thought sequences in the book. It probably draws on the author's life in places and these insights into her thinking do make up for the strained main story. I just wish she had not tried to mold it so close to the standard stories (with the genders reversed).

#ReadAroundTheWorld. #Sudan

This is an award-winning novel by Sudanese author Leila Aboulela. It is set in Aberdeen, a slow-burn gentle romance between Sudanese widow Sammar, and university professor Rae, who she works as a translator for. Religion is a major obstacle for them. I enjoyed the romance and the difficulty Sammar found in adapting to the grey and drab life in Scotland. It did however at times feel more like a religious tract promoting Islam than a novel. 3.5 stars½

a very rare 5 stars for a book i finished yesterday and still thinking about today and i've got a feeling will be reminded of it all my life
sameera's character resonated with me most
i shifted to stay in scotland north of aberdeen as a teenager and stayed there for the next 20 years on and off
the weather and its affect on everything still strums a chord inside me
her rejection in love and her reaction to rejection - so real - could have should have been me
no spoilers but loved right through to the end

A well written novel revealing the life of a Sudanese exile in London and the compromises she must make as she rekindles her faith. Worth the read.

Three Muslim women set out on a journey to the Highlands, to visit the grave of a 1930s pilgrim. They are members of an Arabic Speaking Muslim Women's Group in the Scottish city where they live, and Salma is disappointed that only Moni and Iman from their much larger group have come along.

Evelyn Cobbold was a real life Scottish aristocrat who spent much of her childhood in North Africa and travelled through Libya with a female friend in 2011, before officially converting to Islam in 2015 and taking the name Zainab. She was the first Muslim woman born in Britain to participate in the Haaj pilgrimage to Mecca.

This novel, however, is the story of a smaller scale and very personal journey for the three women involved, as they leave behind family ties for a few days (including a week at a hotel). All three have time to reflect on relationships and choices, as the story unfolds through their conversations, private thoughts and flashbacks. They revisit their past decisions and consider what the future might be.

Controversially, the story takes a rather fairytale direction with a kind of Muslim magical realism, including a talking hoopoe.

This is Leila Aboulela's fifth novel and the third I have read, and it feels very different from Lyrics Alley (set mostly in Sudan) and The Kindness of Enemies (with the story moving between different time periods and places). I am not sure I expected this novel when I started reading but I found it really interesting and beautifully written.½

Three women, joined by friendship and their London Muslim Women’s group decide on an expedition to the Scottish highland to see the grave of Lady Evelyn Cobb, the first English woman to make the Hajj to Meccah. At first, they had thought to have a busload of women from the group; but due to opposition from spouses and some controversy over the grave itself, only the three friends ended up going.

The Hoopoe bird is mentioned in the Quran as a messenger; it is valued (according to Wikipedia) as being communicatve. It is also sacred in the Celtic literature of the Scottish.

The Hoopoe appears to all three of the women: Salma is the leader of the group, happily married to an Englishman but contacted by her first love in Egypt – was she mistaken when she left him?

Moni is the mother of a profoundly disabled son. Her husband wants her to join him in Egypt, but Moni believes that her son can get better care in England than in Egypt. Her life revolves around her son. After seeing the Hoopoe, she is also visited by a small speechless boy with her son’s first name and which other people cannot see.

Iman is startling beautiful. She has been married twice before and currently has a spiritual non-legal marriage to a third man. The third man’s parents demand he leave Iman. He meets her briefly on the trip, delivers her possessions and gives her the news. She is at a loss what next to do with her life; a magical cupboard provides her with a great many costumes that she tries out on her search.
All three women must make choices, and, as they change, their friendships also change.

Although I enjoyed the very diverse stories of the three women, something left me feeling ultimately a bit unsatisfied. 3.5 stars

Set in the 19th Century in Sudan when the Ottoman Empire was ruling Sudan. Rebels under the leadership of a declared redeemer of Islam began to take over the country. Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of the many people who are caught in the political struggle causing the personal struggles of having to chose sides.

Yaseen is the son of a trader who befriends an orphaned girl and her younger brother and later goes on to study in Egypt. Akuany, the young girl, first lives as a servant in the house of Yaseen whose mother has adopted the younger brother. As the country becomes divided between those that follow the Mahdi (the proclaimed redeemer) and those that see him as a false prophet, there is violence and religious turmoil. Even though the Ottoman were also Muslims, the rebels believe them to be infidels as they are more open to progressive ideas. At the same time, the British become involved so the struggle becomes one of two Islamic factions and Christianity.

A well-written story that demonstrates the very complexities of this part of the world and the many shades of religious belief. Good read.

Natasha, a history professor at a Scottish university, has a research interest in Shamil, a mid-19th-century Muslim military leader who fought against the expansion of the Russian empire into the Caucasus region. One of Natasha’s students, Oz, is a descendant of Shamil. Natasha and Oz discover just how difficult it can be to research a Muslim military leader without arousing suspicions of terrorist activity. Natasha’s story is intertwined with the story of Shamil and one of his captives, Georgian princess Anna.

This book combines two elements that I usually try to avoid in fiction – a dual timeline and historical fiction about a real person. Natasha’s story interested me more than Shamil’s, and I wanted to rush through the historical parts of the book to get back to the present day.

Natasha’s internal conflict between her Sudanese heritage on her father’s side and her Russian heritage on her mother’s side is a major theme in the book. Aboulela is too heavy-handed with Natasha’s psychological makeup. A self-aware Natasha describes her fears of mythological half-human, half-beast creatures and recognizes that her biracial, bicultural heritage is at the root of this fear. A more subtle approach would make for better literature, but apparently Aboulela hasn’t learned to trust her readers enough to make this connection on their own.½

Reason read: ANC, This book was written by British, Sudanese author Leila Aboulea and is a tale of 3 Muslim women and their visit to Scotland. It shows the struggles that women grapple with regardless of their culture as well as within their culture. It is full of magical realism.

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This book cover randomly caught my attention when I was browsing and I decided to give it a try.

We follow three friends, Salma, Moni, and Iman, from a Muslim Women's group who are taking a trip to the Scottish Highlands. Each individual has their own personal struggle that overshadows the trip and threatens to disrupt their friendship. This road trip paves the way for a spiritual journey the women weren't expecting.

I appreciated that this book provided a small window into a culture I am less familiar with.

De vertaalster is een boek dat zich duidelijk in een categorie laat plaatsen: het is een liefdesgeschiedenis. De personen waarom het in deze liefde draait zijn de Soedanese Sammar en de Schotse Rae. Beiden werken aan de universiteit van Aberdeen in Schotland; Sammar als vertaalster en Rae als islamoloog. Het grote obstakel dat de liefde in de weg staat: religie. Sammar is een diepgelovige moslima, en Rae is eerder een soort agnost te noemen. Voor Sammar is een verbintenis met Rae onmogelijk als hij zich niet tot tot de islam bekeert.

De Egyptisch-Soedanese schrijfster Leila Aboulela kiest ervoor deze liefdesgeschiedenis puur vanuit het perspectief van Sammar te vertellen. Verhaaltechnisch is Rae eigenlijk niet meer dan een bijfiguur. Dit is verfrissend, zeker voor de niet religieuze lezer, aangezien je je zo in de beleving van een religieus persoon moet verplaatsen. En dat gaat best makkelijk, want Sammar is bepaald geen extremist. Haar leven is in veel opzichten herkenbaar; zij is een goed opgeleide moderne vrouw. Maar religie is voor haar zo verweven met haar identiteit dat ze zich geen leven kan voorstellen zonder.

Het eerste deel van het boek speelt zich af in Schotland en gaat in op Sammars achtergrond en op haar opbloeiende gevoelens voor Rae. Het tweede deel speelt zich af in Khartoum, in Soedan, waarnaar Sammar terugkeert als Rae niet ingaat op haar verzoek de islam als godsdienst aan te nemen. Het biedt een interessant en ook wel verrassend inkijkje in het leven in Khartoum; alleen al daarom is dit boek een aanrader. Overigens is dit boek al in 1999 verschenen, dus het beschrijft een wereld die in de tussentijd mogelijk behoorlijk veranderd is. Hoe het afloopt verklap ik niet, maar verrassend was die afloop voor mij wel!

Na alle hypercreatieve boeken die ik de laatste tijd heb gelezen, met elkaar doorkruisende verhaallijnen, sprongen kris-kras door de tijd, het mengen van genres, pratende bomen etcetera, was het nogal een verademing om weer eens terug te gaan naar de basis. Een “simpel” liefdesverhaal, chronologisch verteld, met één enkele hoofdpersoon. Bij een goede schrijver is er misschien ook niet meer nodig om je toch mee te nemen naar een andere wereld (nee, niet ergens daar ver weg in het heelal, maar gewoon hier, op aarde).½

I'm not sure whether this is allowed here or whether it is even possible but I'm not sure my article is a review. I would rather tend to call it a personal journey.

Except for Bloomsbury, who has let her down really badly with the edit, this book haunted me for 15 years, the wrestle with myself and my own words took another six months. This is the fruit of the mess of my thoughts:

https://safreachronicle.co.za/where-words-take-us-minaret/

I like how the book ends. The final chapter expertly encapsulates what happened to the main characters through Nur Abuzeid's interview with the radio station. Nabilah Bey returned to Egypt and her children became friends with Fatma's daughter, and Soraya became a mother. And Ustaz Badr moved into his dream home. It wasn't clear initially what Ustaz Badr's role is, and the chapters on him slowed the book down. Turns out that he had an important role in spurring Nur to become an excellent poet and unwittingly persuaded Nabilah to return to Sudan. While reading this, I can't help but think of Palace Walk. Both took place in Egypt and had kind patriarchs. Palace Walk took place in Egypt in the 1910s; Lyrics Alley partly took place in Egypt but in the 1950s. But as I write this review, it strikes me how different the two Egypts are. The Egypt depicted in Palace Walk is so much more conservative. That's one of the interesting things I like about reading - learning about different countries and cultures.½

I liked the understated writing style, but I felt a bit disappointed with the end. I will see what I think in a month or two.

This is a story of a wealthy Sudanese family. The father has made a fortune in trading; he has two wives: one a traditional Sudanese wife who gave him two sons, now grown. The second wife is much younger from Egypt who has a young son and daughter. The father also has a brother who is widowed with three girls; the oldest taking the place of the mother, the second married to her cousin, and the youngest, Soraya, who wants to study and become modern. The setting is in the 1950's when Sudan was a part of the British protectorate, The father admires the British and easily moves between cultures of Sudan, Egypt, and Britain.

The the youngest son who also has the most promise of following the father's steps has a very serious accident which leaves him paralyzed, everything changes. Soraya has hopes of marrying Nur. The second wife becomes very embittered and takes her children back to Cairo after the first wife performs a circumcision on the daughter.

As Nur mentally works through his disability, he begins writing poetry even though the father and uncle it is a disgrace. His words later become the lyrics of a popular Sudanese song.

An interesting look at the time in Sudan when Muslims and Christians easily intermingled (Soroya attends Catholic school and is beloved by one Sister who encourages her to go to school). At the end of the book, Sudan is just becoming independent and the reader gets the idea that the family troubles will be eased as the country's troubles start.

Aboulela's writing is what most caught my eye.

I read this because I liked the Translator and I wasn't disappointed. This book is beautifully written. Most novels dealing with emigration and identity focus on alienation. Here, Aboulela also looks at the bonds people form in their adopted environment, which links they choose to keep to their country of origin and what it means to belong somewhere.

This is beautifully written, in some places it reminded me of Euphoria by Lily King. I thought the character of Rae, especially his journey towards religiosity, deserved more space - the conclusion felt a little abrupt.

While I've enjoyed earlier books by this author, I've never been blown away by them, and that pattern continues with her latest release. It's a collection of short stories, most of them set in either Scotland or the Sudan, and most of them focusing on Scottish and Sudanese couples. A young man flies to the Sudan to meet his fiancé's family. An engaged young woman, having trouble with a statistics course at a Scottish university, befriends an awkward young man. A Sudanese woman, divorced because she did not want children, plans her wedding to a Scottish man. More of the same, and more of the same again. It got tedious, although the writing was good. That's all I really have to say. On to something better.

There are two stories in this book. One is a fictionalized story of an historical event, set in mid-nineteenth century Dagestan, where Islamic rebels led by Imam Shamil, are fighting for independence from Roman Catholic Russia.

The other story, which is loosely connected to the first, is set in 2010 Scotland where Natasha (Hussein) Wilson, a university professor, is researching Imam Shamil. Her friend is Malak, a Muslim, who owns Shamil's prized samovar, passed down in her family.

With continuing strife in this part of the world, the historical chapters seem almost contemporary. The Russians and Georgians are enemies, distrustful of and merciless with each other. However the fictionalized account centers on the characters on both sides and, despite their differences, their relationships with each other.

I found the historical story most compelling, with only tenuous hooks into the contemporary story, parts of which are extraneous. Both stories are multicultural and deal with the tensions, political and personal, among those from different cultures.

These stories are about immigrants from Khartoum, Africa to London, England and Aberdeen, Scotland. Being of Scottish descent and having traveled there, I loved the familiarity. I also loved learning about Khartoum and its unique culture and characteristics. It helped me to put myself more in the place of an immigrant and how strange that must be.

However, it did not help me understand the plight of refugees who are fleeing for their lives with their families. In all fairness, this book didn't claim that, but I thought maybe a story or two would touch upon these immediate struggles instead of mostly students studying abroad and marrying "foreigners." Also, I didn't quite get Aboulela's fixation with people's eyes, particularly those with poor or damaged eyesight. Maybe it's a metaphor for not being able to see other people clearly? Or maybe not.

My favorite was the last story, "Pages of Fruit," in which a writer in real life does not meet the expectations of the image the reader had formed. There were subtle complexities I found appealing. This story, too, is tame, though, compared with the danger refugees are facing today.

Read it for a glimpse into these fictional immigrants' lives, but don't expect it to be earth-shattering. The writing is good, but the characters and plots could have easily been set almost anywhere.

It looks like quite a few GR reviewers have thought that the historical portions of this book are stronger than the contemporary. For me, the first few pages had a bit of an info-dump feel, but after that I was equally wrapped up in both periods and didn't find it jarring at all to bounce between them.

I really like the way the author doesn't make the connections between the two periods obvious - it's only after I finished the book that I could start drawing parallels and contrasts. The Goodreads group 'Literary Fiction by People of Color' has started a discussion of this book, so I'm looking forward to a deep dive into it with a bunch of people, but in the meantime, ideas about 'culture' (in general as well as in the 19th century and 21st century) keep swirling in my head - the human need for culture/community and what happens to a person or a community when cultural identity is lost, challenged, stigmatized or even evolves over time.

It took me a bit of time to get into this, but once I got into the historical part of the story, I enjoyed it thoroughly and learned much. The story has a contemporary plot line and a historical one. Natasha's mother was Russian and her father was Sudanese. She is a professor of history in Scotland but is researching the life of Iman Shamil, a real Muslim leader of the anti-Russian resistance in the 1800's (The Caucasian War) Natasha has changed her name to Wilson from Hussain; she is not a practicing Muslim as her father was.

The story of Iman Shamil is interesting in that he gives his young son Jamaleldin as a hostage in a sort of peace agreement believing that he will be returned soon. Meanwhile, Anna Chavchavadze, a member of the former royal family of Georgia, is kidnapped by Iman Shamil. Jamaleldin grow up immersed in the Russian culture; Anna learns to see some advantages in the Muslim culture. Both are eventually returned to their homes but they never lose the connection with their captors.

Natasha has returned to the Sudan as her father is dying and obtains a new look at her past.

Overall, a good read and well written. I learned much about Sufism and how it is much different than the political Islam that is best known today. Interesting.

This was such a delightful surprise as a lot of historical fiction leaves me cold, especially when there is a contemporary parallel story line. This is about a Sudanese Scottish academic researching the life of a 19th c Muslim leader (Imam Shamil) in a post 9/11 world. Beautifully balanced and about a part of the world I know very little about.