Fatin Abbas

I loved this book for many reasons: The Sudan setting which provided much researching, learning, and discussion with my husband; the believable fully-realized characters, all 5 of the main ones; the summary provided by the cartographer in the story to his administrators which just happens to summarize what I wanted to know and understand; the story engrossing and sad providing a vehicle for us to understand a way of life so different from ours. Amazing writing that drew me in. I want to reread this one.… (more)

There are five main characters living in a small border town during the Civil War in Sudan. Alex is an American with an NGO, Dena is a Sudanese/American who is filming, William is a native Sudanese who has been educated in the Catholic schools and works as an interpreter for the NGO, Layla is a Muslim Sudanese working in the kitchen at the compound, and Mustafa is a young boy surviving on the streets. These characters form deep bounds as the war erupts around them.

Some of the scenes are horrifying but always this characters and setting seem very real. There is a hint of a happy ending, but I'm not sure there are happy endings in this part of Africa.

Would definitely read more by this author. Liked the short chapters and the descriptions.… (more)