Saeed and Nadia have met at a difficult time. It is just as their city is being overrun by militants who gradually infiltrate their city. As the violence worsens, they become more desperate to find a way out. But do they leave without Saeed’s dear parents? And how do they escape, when all the exit doors seem to be closed to them? As they find their way together, they learn about how the world may open up doors, but that there may not be a welcome mat waiting for them at the other side.
I had very mixed feelings as I progressed through the pages of this book. On one hand, it does open the reader to the very gritty, naked reality of the immigrant experience of these past few years. While we are not told where the couple is running from (and details are vague throughout this book), we can guess Afghanistan or Pakistan as most likely. As the couple move to new lands, they experience some support, but mostly harsh conditions and resentment and prejudice by the “nativists” in each of the countries to which they flee. At one point, Nadia even wonders if it was worth running from their oppressors, having only come to another country in which she is being oppressed.
On the other hand, because the writing is so sparse on details, it feels somewhat disconnected from the characters themselves, and I felt almost less invested in their story because of this. We like them both, Saeed and Nadia, but we don’t get inside their heads. We don’t feel what is deep in their hearts – they are a sort of neutral territory. And when random characters are introduced, some from across the world, in random order, with tiny, yet interesting stories of their own with no connection whatsoever to the story at hand – I am just not sure where those come from or why they are included. It is either strange editing or I am just not smart enough to get it. (It is probably the latter, I admit.)
On the other hand, again, there are some details I like and think are creative. I like that Saeed and Nadia are the only characters to be given names, while all the other characters are identified by their descriptions only. It is a powerfully literary way to further isolate them – and their experience is certainly isolating — as they travel through each “door” into each new country, into each new opportunity.
As you see, I am truly going back and forth on this one, as I did while I was reading it. It is an interesting read, but I am still not sure whether I liked it or not. If nothing else, it has stimulated much thought – so that counts for a lot, right?
I’d love to know what others think about this one!
kindread spirits 