Finding Beauty ‘In Our Times of Greatest Love and Greatest Fear’: The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

Lefteri approaches her characters’ vulnerability in such a gentle, graceful way that the novel feels heart-warming and hopeful despite the horrifying reality millions of people worldwide face today. Continue reading Finding Beauty ‘In Our Times of Greatest Love and Greatest Fear’: The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

A Man without a Country: In Quest of a Homeland by Yousof Mamoor

The value of In Quest of a Homeland for me lies in its honesty and contribution to, in historian Juliet Gardiner’s terms (1988), history as an ongoing dialogue between the present and the past. Continue reading A Man without a Country: In Quest of a Homeland by Yousof Mamoor

The Power of Narrative & Why Edward Said Would Be Proud: 35 Palestinian Narratives to Read

Edward Said’s call to “narrate” and “record” has never stopped being relevant in the Palestinian struggle. In fact, Palestinian narratives have taken an increasingly important role in the resistance against the systemic erasure of their history. Continue reading The Power of Narrative & Why Edward Said Would Be Proud: 35 Palestinian Narratives to Read

From Puyallup to Mount Sinai: The Girl Who Fell to Earth by Sophia Al-Maria

This is Sophia Al-Maria’s gentle reminder that you’re part of something bigger than the constructs of nations, religions, and ethnicities–you’re part of something bigger than yourself. Continue reading From Puyallup to Mount Sinai: The Girl Who Fell to Earth by Sophia Al-Maria

‘What is Time?’: The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali |Iran

The Stationery Shop is not merely a love story; it is part of recorded history, a cautionary tale, if you will. Continue reading ‘What is Time?’: The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali |Iran

‘A more narrowly defined culture-bond syndrome’: Folklorn (2021) by Angela Mi Young Hur

Folklorn is a contemporary origin story that seamlessly weaves Korean folklore within a narrative of identity, migration, and home. Continue reading ‘A more narrowly defined culture-bond syndrome’: Folklorn (2021) by Angela Mi Young Hur

Reading around Asia Book List | The World Bookshelf Project

My ultimate goal here as a voracious reader is to delve right into the literary scene(s) and spaces created by Asian writers–which I’ve been missing out on all these years. Continue reading Reading around Asia Book List | The World Bookshelf Project