Decolonizing History & Reclaiming the Narrative: Leila Aboulela’s Latest Novel River Spirit

What is not to love about a postcolonial novel that complicates the concepts of “victory” and “heroism,” inviting questions about whose victory, whose hero, and whose version of events–whose (hi)story is being told? Continue reading Decolonizing History & Reclaiming the Narrative: Leila Aboulela’s Latest Novel River Spirit

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

Civilizational Collapse, Taylor Swift(s) of the World, and the Beauty of Connection

As I continued to read the emails Alice and Eileen exchange throughout the novel, I realized: as citizens of the world, we had more in common than I initially thought. Continue reading Civilizational Collapse, Taylor Swift(s) of the World, and the Beauty of Connection

‘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

The Strangest Year of Our Generation|2020 in Review

Despite everything, 2020 has been an exciting year that introduced us to wonderful new writers who will possibly be remembered as the greatest writers of our times. Continue reading The Strangest Year of Our Generation|2020 in Review