The story is about the life-giving powers of women; it is also a story about hope and the possibilities of the human spirit even in the bleakest settings. As it unfolds, the boundary between the real and the fantastical never seems stable. What appears impossible may be possible yet. In a language of hypnotic simplicity, the novel puts in touch with the land and sky of Um Qasem’s loving vision and makes us long to know just how far miracles can reach.
First published in 2015, the novel was translated by Sophia Vasalou and published again in 2019 by Interlink Publishing.
Goodreads Reviews
Average Rating:
3.8 rating based on 621 ratings (all editions)
ISBN-10: 1623719828
ISBN-13: 9781623719821
Goodreads: 44148151
Author(s): Publisher: Interlink Publishing
Published: 4/16/2019
As the war between Iran and Iraq gathers steam in 1980, military orders arrive at the village of Sabiliyat requesting the immediate evacuation of all civilians. Old Um Qasem and her family pack up their belongings, round up their donkeys, and begin the journey north to find temporary refuge in Najaf. One loss comes at the heels of another as Um Qasem’s husband suddenly passes away overnight. Two years into their new life, the sense of yearning becomes unbearable. Late one night, Um Qasem quietly saddles her trusted donkey Good Omen and together they begin the treacherous journey home. The village, now a military barracks, is a ghost-town bearing all the scars of war. The war has also left its mark on the land, with the rivers throttled and the fields dying from thirst.
The story that follows is a story about the life-giving powers of women; it is also a story about hope and the possibilities of the human spirit even in the bleakest settings. As it unfolds, the boundary between the real and the fantastical never seems stable. What appears impossible may be possible yet. In a language of hypnotic simplicity, the novel puts in touch with the land and sky of Um Qasem’s loving vision and makes us long to know just how far miracles can reach.
3.8 rating based on 621 ratings (all editions)
ISBN-10: 1623719828
ISBN-13: 9781623719821
Goodreads: 44148151
Author(s): Publisher: Interlink Publishing
Published: 4/16/2019
As the war between Iran and Iraq gathers steam in 1980, military orders arrive at the village of Sabiliyat requesting the immediate evacuation of all civilians. Old Um Qasem and her family pack up their belongings, round up their donkeys, and begin the journey north to find temporary refuge in Najaf. One loss comes at the heels of another as Um Qasem’s husband suddenly passes away overnight. Two years into their new life, the sense of yearning becomes unbearable. Late one night, Um Qasem quietly saddles her trusted donkey Good Omen and together they begin the treacherous journey home. The village, now a military barracks, is a ghost-town bearing all the scars of war. The war has also left its mark on the land, with the rivers throttled and the fields dying from thirst.
The story that follows is a story about the life-giving powers of women; it is also a story about hope and the possibilities of the human spirit even in the bleakest settings. As it unfolds, the boundary between the real and the fantastical never seems stable. What appears impossible may be possible yet. In a language of hypnotic simplicity, the novel puts in touch with the land and sky of Um Qasem’s loving vision and makes us long to know just how far miracles can reach.
