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Paper Sparrows
'A beautifully written book about memory, music and the terror of modern warfare. We need these books, full of compassion and anger, that show us the emotional damage of conflict.' Patrice Lawrence, Rose Interrupted, Orangeboy ‘There's a sensuous magic to this writing that caught me up and wouldn't let me go. A beautifully written story about the struggle for identity. I loved it.’ Jenny Downham, Before I Die, You Against Me, Furious Thing It is the summer of 2006, and nineteen-year-old London music student, Layla, returns home for the holidays to a now peaceful Lebanon. When she arrives, though, she finds that her troubled younger brother has gone missing. "Borrowing" her father's car, she heads to Beirut to search for him, meeting a variety of people along the way. But her quest is cut short when, without warning, Beirut comes under heavy artillery fire. A new war has begun, and now she is trapped in the middle of it.
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 5, 2020
4 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 19, 2020
This book is BEAUTIFUL. It bought tears to my eyes on two separate occasions, it was so much sadness, wrapped in some happiness.
The mixture of love and hatred, of love and war in this book is so wonderfully fun. It mixes the upset of a missing teenager, a country being destroyed by war, a new love and old family love so perfectly you don’t even know how to feel.
I honestly can’t think of a single part of this book that I didn’t like, I just loved it. So much so that I got completely lost in the last 100 pages and my day just evaporated within Nathalies words. Also, the underlying meaning of the ‘Paper Sparrows’.. no words. So good.
The mixture of love and hatred, of love and war in this book is so wonderfully fun. It mixes the upset of a missing teenager, a country being destroyed by war, a new love and old family love so perfectly you don’t even know how to feel.
I honestly can’t think of a single part of this book that I didn’t like, I just loved it. So much so that I got completely lost in the last 100 pages and my day just evaporated within Nathalies words. Also, the underlying meaning of the ‘Paper Sparrows’.. no words. So good.
March 15, 2020
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I thought that this was a simply lovely book to read!
The author has done a brilliant job with the story, it was so well written and it is the perfect story of friendship, love, discovery and family.
The pace for the book was great, the author did a great job bringing the scenes at the start to life and I liked how the pace gathered as the book reached the end too.
It is 5 stars from me, I loved it from cover to cover, it was so well written and the author did an excellent job of bringing the story to life – one of the best books I have read in a while in this genre – very highly recommended!!
I thought that this was a simply lovely book to read!
The author has done a brilliant job with the story, it was so well written and it is the perfect story of friendship, love, discovery and family.
The pace for the book was great, the author did a great job bringing the scenes at the start to life and I liked how the pace gathered as the book reached the end too.
It is 5 stars from me, I loved it from cover to cover, it was so well written and the author did an excellent job of bringing the story to life – one of the best books I have read in a while in this genre – very highly recommended!!
April 23, 2020
Before I talk about the book itself, can I just give it some cover love? I'm not easily influenced by covers but this one is really attractive. I love how everything comes together into something gorgeous.
This book is a departure for me, not my usual thing at all, but it appealed to me. I am horribly ignorant of the history and politics of this area of the world so it was an interesting read from that point of view, but this is a very human story.
Nineteen year old Layla has been studying music in London but is returning home to Lebanon for the holidays for the first time in three years. She is devastated when her brother isn't there to welcome her back. Sixteen year old Ziad has stormed off to a friend's place in Beirut after an argument with his father. When he is still not home after nearly two days and there has been no contact from him, Layla borrows her father's car and heads off to Beirut to look for him, even though there is a threat of war on the horizon. When she arrives at the home of Ziad's friend Jacques, she discovers that he wasn't such a great friend. But as Layla searches for Ziad, helped by Jacques's brother Joe, the threat of war suddenly gets much closer.
I loved Layla. I felt her frustration at her brother's absence when she arrived and her sadness as she realises how different she is now from the friends she grew up with. And her surprise at the changes that her country has experienced in the time she has been away. I loved reading her memories from when she was younger, particularly ones featuring Ziad who she clearly loves dearly. She is independent, resourceful and absolutely determined to find her brother. Oh, and she's falling in love.
A sweet, earnest young man, Joe offers to help Layla find Ziad, insists actually, and they tentatively start to get to know each other. Abu-Ezzi writes beautifully, perfectly illustrating the faltering beginnings of a relationship, the highs and lows:
'He looks beautiful standing there. Not the person she interpreted outside his flat yesterday, but someone more.'
But their fledgling romance, along with their search for Ziad, is threatened when bombs start falling on Beirut. The absolute terror that people must have felt is depicted well, and also the fear of not knowing. Not knowing if you'll survive the night, or what you'll find when you open your door or whether your relatives will survive. I am lucky never to have had those fears but this gave me an idea of how it might feel.
There are so many wonderful characters in this book. As well as Layla and Joe, I was particularly touched by Fadi, Layla's father. There's a scene towards the end with him and Layla that brought tears to my eyes. But really, all the characters are richly described.
The author's style of writing, her descriptions, the flow of her words all really spoke to me. Even the scenes about bombs and fear and crying are beautiful to read. Here's another short example of the writing, one of several I highlighted:
'She...feels like a fish out of water: taken away from her element, she knows she will carry on gasping until she finds herself swimming in music again.'
This is a book about family, love, loss, identity, fear, music and bombs. The ending was bittersweet for me. Actually, it hurt my heart a little, but I think it was the right choice. I thought this book was beautiful and I loved it.
This book is a departure for me, not my usual thing at all, but it appealed to me. I am horribly ignorant of the history and politics of this area of the world so it was an interesting read from that point of view, but this is a very human story.
Nineteen year old Layla has been studying music in London but is returning home to Lebanon for the holidays for the first time in three years. She is devastated when her brother isn't there to welcome her back. Sixteen year old Ziad has stormed off to a friend's place in Beirut after an argument with his father. When he is still not home after nearly two days and there has been no contact from him, Layla borrows her father's car and heads off to Beirut to look for him, even though there is a threat of war on the horizon. When she arrives at the home of Ziad's friend Jacques, she discovers that he wasn't such a great friend. But as Layla searches for Ziad, helped by Jacques's brother Joe, the threat of war suddenly gets much closer.
I loved Layla. I felt her frustration at her brother's absence when she arrived and her sadness as she realises how different she is now from the friends she grew up with. And her surprise at the changes that her country has experienced in the time she has been away. I loved reading her memories from when she was younger, particularly ones featuring Ziad who she clearly loves dearly. She is independent, resourceful and absolutely determined to find her brother. Oh, and she's falling in love.
A sweet, earnest young man, Joe offers to help Layla find Ziad, insists actually, and they tentatively start to get to know each other. Abu-Ezzi writes beautifully, perfectly illustrating the faltering beginnings of a relationship, the highs and lows:
'He looks beautiful standing there. Not the person she interpreted outside his flat yesterday, but someone more.'
But their fledgling romance, along with their search for Ziad, is threatened when bombs start falling on Beirut. The absolute terror that people must have felt is depicted well, and also the fear of not knowing. Not knowing if you'll survive the night, or what you'll find when you open your door or whether your relatives will survive. I am lucky never to have had those fears but this gave me an idea of how it might feel.
There are so many wonderful characters in this book. As well as Layla and Joe, I was particularly touched by Fadi, Layla's father. There's a scene towards the end with him and Layla that brought tears to my eyes. But really, all the characters are richly described.
The author's style of writing, her descriptions, the flow of her words all really spoke to me. Even the scenes about bombs and fear and crying are beautiful to read. Here's another short example of the writing, one of several I highlighted:
'She...feels like a fish out of water: taken away from her element, she knows she will carry on gasping until she finds herself swimming in music again.'
This is a book about family, love, loss, identity, fear, music and bombs. The ending was bittersweet for me. Actually, it hurt my heart a little, but I think it was the right choice. I thought this book was beautiful and I loved it.
March 30, 2020
In the summer of 2006 a nineteen-year-old music student returns to Beirut from London to find that her disabled younger brother has gone missing. In her frantic search for him, she becomes caught up in the deadly struggle between Israel and Hezbollah, travelling into the heart of the conflict, and, at the same time, into the depths of her own memory and conscience.
Infused with a powerful sense of place, Paper Sparrows concerns itself with the fragility of normality: a dog swimming in the sea, suddenly covered in crude oil; a mother trapped in a basement looking for a nappy for her baby; a young woman whose future depends on her ability to play music, scrabbling in the ruins with her bare hands. In the midst of this chaos we watch the central character, torn between conflicting visions of the world, falling in love for the first time and trying to work out how to deal with unfamiliar emotions. A very rewarding read.
Infused with a powerful sense of place, Paper Sparrows concerns itself with the fragility of normality: a dog swimming in the sea, suddenly covered in crude oil; a mother trapped in a basement looking for a nappy for her baby; a young woman whose future depends on her ability to play music, scrabbling in the ruins with her bare hands. In the midst of this chaos we watch the central character, torn between conflicting visions of the world, falling in love for the first time and trying to work out how to deal with unfamiliar emotions. A very rewarding read.
September 17, 2021
The summer of 2006. Lebanon.
Layla, who studies music in London, comes home right before the bombardment of the South of Lebanon begins. Her younger brother, Ziad, left home and hasn't returned. Layla embarks on an oddysey to find her brother with two unlikely characters: Dog and Joe, when the bombardment of Dahiya interrupts their search. This is a heartbreaking story of loss, love, and what war does to families. The writing is the more powerful for its simple and clear style.
Layla, who studies music in London, comes home right before the bombardment of the South of Lebanon begins. Her younger brother, Ziad, left home and hasn't returned. Layla embarks on an oddysey to find her brother with two unlikely characters: Dog and Joe, when the bombardment of Dahiya interrupts their search. This is a heartbreaking story of loss, love, and what war does to families. The writing is the more powerful for its simple and clear style.
February 17, 2025
So beautifully written with a good storyline and effective use of recurring imagery and motifs. I love the way Dog is portrayed to evoke both the missing Ziad and Layla’s dwindling hope in finding him. All the characters feel very real and the setting is described so vividly I felt I could have been in Lebanon! It’s a shame this novel doesn’t seem to be very widely available as I’d recommend it for anyone.
March 24, 2020
This is a wonderful book and one which I would certainly recommend as well worth reading.
4-4.5*
A young woman returns home to Lebanon for the summer holiday. It has been three years since she was last hear, since she was last with her family. The last three years have been filled with music, study and work in London. She is a student pianist at the Royal Academy of Music. With some trepidation she is looking forward to seeing her family again. Her mother, father and brother Ziad.
Firstly, however, she lands in Beirut and goes straight to her friends wedding reception. Here she realises that she is now quite different from her friends who remained in the Lebanon. She stays long enough to enjoy the hospitality of her hosts and catch up with the bride. Then she is off out of Beirut to the mountains and home.
How things have changed continues to come to light through the taxi journey into the mountains and then at home. There is a tension between her parents. Her brother is not at home having gone out with friends. She wonders why he wouldn’t be at home for her arrival.
It seems Ziad is staying with one of his friends overnight but, when he still doesn’t return home the next morning and, seeing how worried her mother is, Layla goes off to Beirut to find him. She picks up a stray dog as she leaves.
Ziads whereabouts becomes quite the mystery once she get’s to his friend Jaques home. He not there. Jacque’s brother Joe offers to go with Layla to some places his brother thinks Ziad may be.
Lebanon, officially known as the Lebanese Republic
From the wedding through Layla’s return to her home and her search for Ziad we are shown a world that I have never been to and really don’t know very much about. So I found Layla’s thoughts and the descriptions in the book of Beirut and her home very interesting.
Like anyone who leaves their home and returns after some time they are bound to feel a mix of emotions. So for Layla, who has been away for three years studying music in London, it is no different.
This is, however, a part of the world that has seen so much conflict and war. Lebanon is currently peaceful but as Layla searches for Ziad serious issues are being played out and south Beirut comes under heavy attack by Israel after three Israeli soldiers are taken.
Layla’s search is a mix of mystery, romance, war and family all in one story. Nathalie Abi-Ezzi takes this mix and presents you with a tender, heart wrenching story that will assault your senses and emotions as you move from the joy of returning home, finding new love, feeling the strong ties of family to the terror and pain of war.
It is all of these things that bring Layla a deeper understanding and appreciation of her family, her country but most of all, perhaps, of herself and what she really wants from life.
There are stories within the story, of Dog; of Najat; of Azim and his family. Stories of loyalty, of kindness and hospitality between strangers. Of Ziad, of childhood memories. Of Ziad, of disability. How differently people with a disability are treated and how that has affected Ziad throughout his life. Of her parents, of Ziad, of Joe, of love and heartbreak.
For me it is a story of how all those decisions that are made by you, by your family, by friends – old and new – and strangers shape your world, your life and, when brought together with an event that is the pivot that shows you what is most important, brings a clarity and understanding of what you have and need to fully live.
This is a wonderful book and one which I would certainly recommend as well worth reading.
Note: Whilst I have also purchased an eBook; my thanks to Emma at DamppebblesTours for the invite to this lovely BlogTour and to Holland House Books for a paperback copy of this gorgeous book.
4-4.5*
A young woman returns home to Lebanon for the summer holiday. It has been three years since she was last hear, since she was last with her family. The last three years have been filled with music, study and work in London. She is a student pianist at the Royal Academy of Music. With some trepidation she is looking forward to seeing her family again. Her mother, father and brother Ziad.
Firstly, however, she lands in Beirut and goes straight to her friends wedding reception. Here she realises that she is now quite different from her friends who remained in the Lebanon. She stays long enough to enjoy the hospitality of her hosts and catch up with the bride. Then she is off out of Beirut to the mountains and home.
How things have changed continues to come to light through the taxi journey into the mountains and then at home. There is a tension between her parents. Her brother is not at home having gone out with friends. She wonders why he wouldn’t be at home for her arrival.
It seems Ziad is staying with one of his friends overnight but, when he still doesn’t return home the next morning and, seeing how worried her mother is, Layla goes off to Beirut to find him. She picks up a stray dog as she leaves.
Ziads whereabouts becomes quite the mystery once she get’s to his friend Jaques home. He not there. Jacque’s brother Joe offers to go with Layla to some places his brother thinks Ziad may be.
Lebanon, officially known as the Lebanese Republic
From the wedding through Layla’s return to her home and her search for Ziad we are shown a world that I have never been to and really don’t know very much about. So I found Layla’s thoughts and the descriptions in the book of Beirut and her home very interesting.
Like anyone who leaves their home and returns after some time they are bound to feel a mix of emotions. So for Layla, who has been away for three years studying music in London, it is no different.
This is, however, a part of the world that has seen so much conflict and war. Lebanon is currently peaceful but as Layla searches for Ziad serious issues are being played out and south Beirut comes under heavy attack by Israel after three Israeli soldiers are taken.
Layla’s search is a mix of mystery, romance, war and family all in one story. Nathalie Abi-Ezzi takes this mix and presents you with a tender, heart wrenching story that will assault your senses and emotions as you move from the joy of returning home, finding new love, feeling the strong ties of family to the terror and pain of war.
It is all of these things that bring Layla a deeper understanding and appreciation of her family, her country but most of all, perhaps, of herself and what she really wants from life.
There are stories within the story, of Dog; of Najat; of Azim and his family. Stories of loyalty, of kindness and hospitality between strangers. Of Ziad, of childhood memories. Of Ziad, of disability. How differently people with a disability are treated and how that has affected Ziad throughout his life. Of her parents, of Ziad, of Joe, of love and heartbreak.
For me it is a story of how all those decisions that are made by you, by your family, by friends – old and new – and strangers shape your world, your life and, when brought together with an event that is the pivot that shows you what is most important, brings a clarity and understanding of what you have and need to fully live.
This is a wonderful book and one which I would certainly recommend as well worth reading.
Note: Whilst I have also purchased an eBook; my thanks to Emma at DamppebblesTours for the invite to this lovely BlogTour and to Holland House Books for a paperback copy of this gorgeous book.
March 23, 2020
What can I say? Amazing, Must Read, Beautifully written. The author captures music, love, civil war, family strains, compassion, warmth, anger incredibly well. I thought I would take a chance on this book and I am so pleased I did. Discover Layla, her family, the country she grew up in and what happens in her life and to the place she called home, all within this fantastic book. This is one of those books I hope many people read. It is more than what you may initially think it is. It is gently written, but the themes are anything but gentle. This is a book with substance and one I find myself hoping everyone takes a chance like I did and read it.
I cannot help but mention is the wonderful cover art. I absolutely love it, with the sparrow and pattern. It is so fitting for this book as, apart from it being called Paper Sparrow, it is set in London, Lebannon and Beirut. From the outset, this is a beautifully written book . It’s a book I felt caught up in and really hope others try reading this amazing and lovely book. This isn’t to say it is a cosy read. The words may drift easily along, but there is bite in this book as the plot builds and builds. It’s a book I highly recommend.
There is life, music and love in the air with the backdrop of civil-war. The way it is all written and joins together is encapsualting, beautiful and sensual. Wherever you live in the world, there is something that people will find relatable or familiar to what they’ve seen on the news, but written so much more subtly as this is also about the spaces in-between the war, where ordinary civilians lives go on.
19 year old Layla is the main character in this book. She is an under-graduate at the Royal College of Music in London and returns to Lebannon to attend a wedding. Imagine being away from your home country and returning to find things are just not quite the same? Layla did. She has been away for quite some time and people have changed. The book pronounces these changes and the feelings about them empathetically. There are also some wonderful and warm memories from her childhood that she reflects on from time to time, especially music.
Ziad – Layla’s brother goes missing. There’s been the pressure of exams put upon him, on-top of a worrying job-market situation and he may or may not want to take over the pharmacy. Something everyone, the world over can relate to, perhaps not the pressure of taking over a family business, but the rest of it. So, Layla goes on a road trip to Beirut to find him, picking up a stray dog along the way. It sounds trivial, it isn’t. The dog becomes more like a friend and she needs it. There is the desperate worry of what could have become of her brother.
This however is no ordinary story about growing up and life changing, this is a story taking place when there is civil war.
It is so well told and a great demonstration of how life can seem quite average and yet have different challenges from many other western countries as there are checkpoints to contend with, soldiers around and the news of what Hezbollah’s leader will do next and where his army will encroach on. This isn’t also your usual political story either. Find out the effects of civil war and family has on a person and find out where Layla goes and her geographical and life journey here. The book may be fiction, but the conflict in 2006 was very real.
There is something for most readers in this book.
I cannot help but mention is the wonderful cover art. I absolutely love it, with the sparrow and pattern. It is so fitting for this book as, apart from it being called Paper Sparrow, it is set in London, Lebannon and Beirut. From the outset, this is a beautifully written book . It’s a book I felt caught up in and really hope others try reading this amazing and lovely book. This isn’t to say it is a cosy read. The words may drift easily along, but there is bite in this book as the plot builds and builds. It’s a book I highly recommend.
There is life, music and love in the air with the backdrop of civil-war. The way it is all written and joins together is encapsualting, beautiful and sensual. Wherever you live in the world, there is something that people will find relatable or familiar to what they’ve seen on the news, but written so much more subtly as this is also about the spaces in-between the war, where ordinary civilians lives go on.
19 year old Layla is the main character in this book. She is an under-graduate at the Royal College of Music in London and returns to Lebannon to attend a wedding. Imagine being away from your home country and returning to find things are just not quite the same? Layla did. She has been away for quite some time and people have changed. The book pronounces these changes and the feelings about them empathetically. There are also some wonderful and warm memories from her childhood that she reflects on from time to time, especially music.
Ziad – Layla’s brother goes missing. There’s been the pressure of exams put upon him, on-top of a worrying job-market situation and he may or may not want to take over the pharmacy. Something everyone, the world over can relate to, perhaps not the pressure of taking over a family business, but the rest of it. So, Layla goes on a road trip to Beirut to find him, picking up a stray dog along the way. It sounds trivial, it isn’t. The dog becomes more like a friend and she needs it. There is the desperate worry of what could have become of her brother.
This however is no ordinary story about growing up and life changing, this is a story taking place when there is civil war.
It is so well told and a great demonstration of how life can seem quite average and yet have different challenges from many other western countries as there are checkpoints to contend with, soldiers around and the news of what Hezbollah’s leader will do next and where his army will encroach on. This isn’t also your usual political story either. Find out the effects of civil war and family has on a person and find out where Layla goes and her geographical and life journey here. The book may be fiction, but the conflict in 2006 was very real.
There is something for most readers in this book.
March 9, 2020
his book took me on a journey. A journey of discovery, of friendship, of family and love. I would like to thank Emma Welton at Damp Pebbles, HHousebooks and Nathalie Abi-Ezza for my advanced copy of this book.
We meet Layla as she is stepping back into Beirut. She has been studying in London for the last three years but now is the time to pay a visit home to her family. The first stop is a friend’s wedding before she heads into the mountains to see her mother, father and brother. Upon arrival her brother has disappeared. He has issues with his place in the family home, more specifically issues with Layla and he’s decided not to be there for his sisters arrival.
Lebanon has had it’s fair share of unrest and civil war but in recent years the city has been rebuilt and peace is in the streets. When morning dawns and her brother has still not arrived home Layla sets out in her father’s car, with a stray dog for company to search for him. Heading to his friends apartment she learns that yes, her brother was there and no, he did not stay the night and no they don’t know where he has gone.
Joe offers to lend a hand with the search. With dog in tow they set off around the streets. When the news is announced that two Israeli soldiers have been captured on Lebanon's border it’s not long before the peace is about to be shattered again.
With no sign of her brother Layla needs to make the impossible decision of returning home without him or to stay and find shelter in the soon to be bombed city. An attack is imminent and her worst nightmare is about to begin.
This book shows the true meaning of friendship, being there for each other and trying to survive against the odds.
The book really built in pace. Beginning with beautiful gentle descriptions of the newly rebuilt city and really sets the scene for our characters but this builds and turns as the city is under attack and the tension really builds until you have to keep reading to find out the outcomes for each of our characters as the landscape takes on a dark and violent tone.
I really enjoyed the relationship that is built between Layla and dog. He’s a stray that she found on the doorstep and she took him along for the ride but the bond between them just gets stronger and stronger. It was a lovely touch.
For me this book has a bit of everything. Romance, family drama, action and a very fitting and emotional conclusion.
We meet Layla as she is stepping back into Beirut. She has been studying in London for the last three years but now is the time to pay a visit home to her family. The first stop is a friend’s wedding before she heads into the mountains to see her mother, father and brother. Upon arrival her brother has disappeared. He has issues with his place in the family home, more specifically issues with Layla and he’s decided not to be there for his sisters arrival.
Lebanon has had it’s fair share of unrest and civil war but in recent years the city has been rebuilt and peace is in the streets. When morning dawns and her brother has still not arrived home Layla sets out in her father’s car, with a stray dog for company to search for him. Heading to his friends apartment she learns that yes, her brother was there and no, he did not stay the night and no they don’t know where he has gone.
Joe offers to lend a hand with the search. With dog in tow they set off around the streets. When the news is announced that two Israeli soldiers have been captured on Lebanon's border it’s not long before the peace is about to be shattered again.
With no sign of her brother Layla needs to make the impossible decision of returning home without him or to stay and find shelter in the soon to be bombed city. An attack is imminent and her worst nightmare is about to begin.
This book shows the true meaning of friendship, being there for each other and trying to survive against the odds.
The book really built in pace. Beginning with beautiful gentle descriptions of the newly rebuilt city and really sets the scene for our characters but this builds and turns as the city is under attack and the tension really builds until you have to keep reading to find out the outcomes for each of our characters as the landscape takes on a dark and violent tone.
I really enjoyed the relationship that is built between Layla and dog. He’s a stray that she found on the doorstep and she took him along for the ride but the bond between them just gets stronger and stronger. It was a lovely touch.
For me this book has a bit of everything. Romance, family drama, action and a very fitting and emotional conclusion.
May 3, 2020
The tone of the omniscient narrator is a soothing one, with a certain and agreeable distance. The characters do not seem to have deep features at first, but the most iconic ones (Layla, Baba, and Joe, among a few others) are enriched in many ways as the chapters go by. As always with quality literature, the patient and benevolent reader is rewarded. The attitudes and behaviors of Layla are especially rich and rightfully contextualized.
Paper Sparrows offers a wide panorama of the real, a real augmented with unforeseeable emotions and reactions.
Find the full review of Paper Sparrows on our blog Slow Culture.
Paper Sparrows offers a wide panorama of the real, a real augmented with unforeseeable emotions and reactions.
Find the full review of Paper Sparrows on our blog Slow Culture.
May 9, 2020
Review to follow
March 17, 2021
Beautifully written. Opens your eyes to the destruction and pain of life in Lebanon. Some lovely moments entwined within.
July 21, 2023
An emotional tale of resilience and the power of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Through the author’s eloquent descriptions you find yourself transported to the chaotic streets of Beirut, the culture and the smells. You also get to really feel the weight of the characters experiences as they navigate the scars of war.
The book is describing the pillaging of the Dahiya neighbourhood by the Israeli army during the 2006 Lebanon war, highlighting the cost to civilians trapped in a conflict they never anticipated.
It’s worth noting the book is quite verbose, adding unnecessary depth and really slowing down the pace of the narrative.
As a personal preference, I definitely prefer a more concise story telling approach.
Through the author’s eloquent descriptions you find yourself transported to the chaotic streets of Beirut, the culture and the smells. You also get to really feel the weight of the characters experiences as they navigate the scars of war.
The book is describing the pillaging of the Dahiya neighbourhood by the Israeli army during the 2006 Lebanon war, highlighting the cost to civilians trapped in a conflict they never anticipated.
It’s worth noting the book is quite verbose, adding unnecessary depth and really slowing down the pace of the narrative.
As a personal preference, I definitely prefer a more concise story telling approach.
April 1, 2025
Interesting and well written story set in Beirut during Israel’s bombing of it. Layla, a talented pianist, who at age 19, is living and studying music in London, returns to Lebanon to visit her family just as the tensions rise. Layla goes off to look for her teenage brother who has stormed off after a row with their father and accidentally gets caught up in the bombing along with the brother of one of her brother’s friends who comes along to help her. It conveys the suddenness and brutality of the attack really well and the warmth and humanity of other people also caught up in it through no fault of their own.
April 9, 2023
It is an authentic description of the Israeli's attack on Lebanon. Although I (Lebanese) wasn't there when the attack has occurred but the description matches what my family and friends have told me.
February 7, 2024
Good story about the Lebanese 2006 summer war.
Although the plot was interesting, the author added unnecessary details and metaphors that complicated the writing.
Although the plot was interesting, the author added unnecessary details and metaphors that complicated the writing.
May 9, 2024
a good story but the constant grammar errors and typos bothered me. so did the predictability.
August 30, 2024
Paper Sparrows follows Layla, a 19 year old student studying music abroad in London, as she visits home in the summer of 2006. When she arrives to Lebanon, she finds out her younger brother is missing and goes off in search of him, finding romance and turmoil along the way.
The author did a great job developing the characters in this book. Readers really get to know Layla, understand her relationship with her family, how living abroad has changed her, and see her falling in love. I also really enjoyed Layla’s love for a stray dog who accompanies her throughout her journey.
Abi-Ezzi also highlights the historical conflict and volatility surrounding Lebanon in 2006. Layla’s search for her brother is upended when the Israeli forces begin dropping bombs in the area she believes her brother to be. Through the Hezbollah/Israeli conflict, the author shows the toll war takes on a country’s citizens. The story starts with Layla attending a lavish wedding of a friend, enjoying the city of Beirut, swimming in the Mediterranean, to finding herself in a bunker with strangers wondering if her loved ones are safe.
The book takes place over only a few days time with a lot of emotion packed in. The timeline did feel rushed for the romance and family relationships to really develop. The epilogue at the end did give some closure, but I wanted more.
Overall I enjoyed reading this and understood a little more of Lebanon. It was a great combo of romance, family drama, action, adventure, history and emotion.
The author did a great job developing the characters in this book. Readers really get to know Layla, understand her relationship with her family, how living abroad has changed her, and see her falling in love. I also really enjoyed Layla’s love for a stray dog who accompanies her throughout her journey.
Abi-Ezzi also highlights the historical conflict and volatility surrounding Lebanon in 2006. Layla’s search for her brother is upended when the Israeli forces begin dropping bombs in the area she believes her brother to be. Through the Hezbollah/Israeli conflict, the author shows the toll war takes on a country’s citizens. The story starts with Layla attending a lavish wedding of a friend, enjoying the city of Beirut, swimming in the Mediterranean, to finding herself in a bunker with strangers wondering if her loved ones are safe.
The book takes place over only a few days time with a lot of emotion packed in. The timeline did feel rushed for the romance and family relationships to really develop. The epilogue at the end did give some closure, but I wanted more.
Overall I enjoyed reading this and understood a little more of Lebanon. It was a great combo of romance, family drama, action, adventure, history and emotion.
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