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Hostages of Memory
In the Syrian-Turkish borderlands, Khatoune searches for a home for their family. As her sons Alo and Ahme attempt to build a life for themselves, they know little about the secrets that weigh down their family history, or the troubles that the future has in store for them. So unfolds a tale of tragedy, humour, and – occasionally – joy; a tale spanning three generations that offers us an earthy glimpse into the lives of the people who have made this land their home, both along and in spite of the borders that divide them. The novel shows the strength of the Kurdish women and their steadfastness in the face of the hardships. It also addresses the fragmentation of the Kurdish identity and how international alliances affected the Kurds in their contemporary history.
188 pages, Paperback
Published March 15, 2023
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December 23, 2023
Hostages of Memory is a somber yet soulful read. Rich in its research and capturing the life of a wanderer, Hussein wants readers to learn history while they read. Whether it's all kinds of political, religious, or society changes that occur, it'll be in here. Appreciated that there were educational rants given within these pages.
Hussein is also a huge fan of telling you everything, including the scope of each individual character's emotions. There's no leeway for readers to imagine anything. There's nothing unsaid—at all. Characters regularly turn into exposition dumpers or speak with jilted, dramatic dialogue that no one would say in real life.
This is where I'm wondering if this is a literary style that may be lost in English translation. Sometimes sentences that sound lyrical and wonderful in one language can feel blunt without the eloquence and intricacies in another. Certain word plays as well.
Although the promotional blurb mentions the strength of Kurdish women, they tend to be one dimensional with their main strengths being their sacrificial nature to provide and their perseverance to survive. It's mostly about the men in this story. Don't expect too many women to be thinking of anything beyond the men or the household in this one. Hussein is probably writing close to how life can actually be in that sector of the world, so don't be too surprised by that.
Khatoune, the woman we're introduced to with the most depth and variance, more or less disappears until the midway point. I would have liked a few more scenes of her youth to bolster more for her ending.
The character who felt most like a character to me was Hawar. He lived up to his name as the helpful and cheerful grandson with insatiable curiosity and innocence. Could predict what would happen to him by the end a mile's away, and that's depressing.
Hostages of Memory is short yet dense with how much it covers in its length. I feel like Hussein could have gone even further with his talking points, at times dumping the fictional altogether. Hard to recommend to people who are addicted to contemporary and conventional fiction, yet there's much to consider and learn from this one. Just don't expect the characters to act like characters in most modern mediums.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Hussein is also a huge fan of telling you everything, including the scope of each individual character's emotions. There's no leeway for readers to imagine anything. There's nothing unsaid—at all. Characters regularly turn into exposition dumpers or speak with jilted, dramatic dialogue that no one would say in real life.
This is where I'm wondering if this is a literary style that may be lost in English translation. Sometimes sentences that sound lyrical and wonderful in one language can feel blunt without the eloquence and intricacies in another. Certain word plays as well.
Although the promotional blurb mentions the strength of Kurdish women, they tend to be one dimensional with their main strengths being their sacrificial nature to provide and their perseverance to survive. It's mostly about the men in this story. Don't expect too many women to be thinking of anything beyond the men or the household in this one. Hussein is probably writing close to how life can actually be in that sector of the world, so don't be too surprised by that.
Khatoune, the woman we're introduced to with the most depth and variance, more or less disappears until the midway point. I would have liked a few more scenes of her youth to bolster more for her ending.
The character who felt most like a character to me was Hawar. He lived up to his name as the helpful and cheerful grandson with insatiable curiosity and innocence. Could predict what would happen to him by the end a mile's away, and that's depressing.
Hostages of Memory is short yet dense with how much it covers in its length. I feel like Hussein could have gone even further with his talking points, at times dumping the fictional altogether. Hard to recommend to people who are addicted to contemporary and conventional fiction, yet there's much to consider and learn from this one. Just don't expect the characters to act like characters in most modern mediums.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 of 1 review