This is a collection of short stories, the theme of many of them being the reconciliation of European and Arab culture - within a marriage, the individual and, at times, both. I appreciated the insight that went into all of these stories. Overall, I really enjoyed this collection – most of them I really liked though I found my mind wandering as I read others. This is a quick, enjoyable read - I would recommend it. Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this collection.

The stories are written beautifully. The longing for a place called home is portrayed so well. The definition of home is challenging for a first generation diaspora who goes back to visit a parent's country of birth.

I didn't realise that this was a collection of short stories when I first started it so was expecting the first few characters to come together at some point early on. When it didn't I focused on other aspects that I liked, such as the authors style of writing, she was able to draw me into the intimate lives, loves and trials of the many characters in this book and at times I hoped that certain characters stories would continue and left me wanting more. I could also draw parallels to Jojo Moyes book Paris for One which I also really enjoyed. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author.

Short stories are experiencing a renaissance, their bite-sized narratives fitting into our shortened attention spans, the print version of our preference for sitting down for an episode rather than a movie (and then watching until we've finished the series).

Aboulela's collection of stories features people living between England, Scotland, Egypt, and Sudan. Most of the narrators are women, but not all. Some are in couples uniting Africa and Europe. Several involve characters native to Africa who are transplanted to England or Scotland for school or work--forced to leave home in search of opportunity.

The collection begins with the story of a young girl and her mother making their annual pilgrimage to Cairo to visit family. Nadia's mother laughs at her daughter's reaction to the realities of Cairo and Nadia teases her mother for her flawed English pronunciation. The man who comes to Sudan to marry his bride and finds himself facing unexpected cultural boundaries and the need to prove his own connection, his legitimacy. The young girl who braves expectations to wear glasses. The collection ends with a story of a woman inspired by an author whose characters go far beyond the realities of the author herself. After her second opportunity to meet her favorite author, the narrator writes, "It made me miss the voice on the page, the fluid lives you had written down. There was nothing more I could take from you. Nothing in addition to what I already had on my shelves." In the pages of Elsewhere, Home, Aboulela has offered us a great deal.

Aboulela has met the challenge of Chimamanda Adichie's "Danger of a Single Story." Her collection allows us to peek into the lives of several "outsiders," whether native to the UK or Egypt and Sudan. Unlike the fossilized colonial view of Africa confronted in "The Museum," Aboulela's Africa, through the eyes of those who call it home and those who visit it, is modern and specific, far from the pastoral images of savannah animals and silent, stoic native safari guides.

Elsewhere, Home is so worth the read. I rather suspect it will be the choice of book clubs and likely assigned in many college classrooms.

Finished 8/5/18

Advance copy courtesy of netgalley.com

I loved Leila Aboulela's other books. I wanted to love "Elsewhere, Home" as well. However, this book just felt disjointed and I don't think it is as goid as her others.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

These short stories cover a variety of characters who find themselves living away from their homeland or their parent's homeland. A variety of situations are covered of people who miss their families, of those who have moved on, those who cope and those who don't. These stories tell of the complexities of life for people who are different, their feelings towards religion, and how they deal with separation, racism and bigotry within and outside of their communities. The book left me with the reminder that everyone's journey is different, life is not fair and kindness is a gift.