Thanks to NetGalley and Melville House Publishing for making a copy of this title available for an honest review.

I struggled with this book. A large part of that was due to the subject matter which was disturbing at best. However, I was also confused with the struggle the book had between fiction and nonfiction, novel and retelling.

As a novel, it was weak in structure from inciting moment to climax. It would have have strengthened with a more clarified antagonist. I expected from the title and opening incident with the bird for a larger metaphor which didn't materialize. It flowed but seemed to lack direction.

However, the author, who writes under a pseudonym for protection of herself and her subjects, tells us that all these things happened to her protagonist. Is this, then, not a biography or personal history, an account of a section of a person's life? She says that it's real, and it feels like nonfiction. Coming from that direction, the book is a harrowing account of someone coming of age in horrific circumstances. It is a history not just of a person but of a place pulled apart, of a family and a society unraveled, of a country destroyed. We've heard the stories on the news for years, but looking extensively through one person's eyes makes it vividly real.

This is definitely a story that should be told, but in future editions, I recommend dropping the "novel" under the title on the cover and just telling it like it is.

Amazing. Eva Bout paints pictures with words making you feel as if you're there a part of the story. Strong characters and a riveting plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Check it out. Happy reading!

Amazing that this is based on a true story. Nour's writing is absolutely stunning. She reveals the narrative beautifully.