The Blue Between Sky and Water
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The Blue Between Sky and Water is a book written by Palestinian author Susan Abulhawa.[1] The book is Abulhawa's second novel and was sold in 19 languages before its release, and was published in English in 2015. The book navigates the experience of three generations of Palestinian women as they face the consequences of the Israeli occupation.
Synopsis
Nazmiyeh
The story begins in the village of Beit Daras with the onset of the Nakba. Nazmiyeh's family home is stormed while she is alone with her younger sister. She is raped by Jewish guerilla forces who then proceed to kill her sister in front of her. Eventually the family flees to Gaza, where Nazmiyeh marries her childhood lover, within a few months, though she never reveals to anyone about the instance of the rape. Her first born child, a boy, has blue eyes. The boy grows into a resistance fighter who is imprisoned by the occupation.[2]
Nur
Nazmiyeh's brother moves to America seeking better opportunities. He has one son, who has completely lost his connection to his Palestinian identity and goes by Michael. Michael has a daughter, Nur, who spends the most time with her grandpa, following her dad's death in a car accident. Following her grandpa's death from illness, Nur is taken back in by her American mother who ends up marrying another man who abuses Nur.[2]
Nur decides to go back to Gaza where she is able to find Nazmiyeh and reconnects with her homeland. The novel ends with Nur celebrating with Nazmiyeh as a prisoner release is announced and there is hope that Nazmiyeh's son might be among those released.[2]
Reception
Dorothy Reno, writing for the Washington Independent Review of Books, claims that the book's readers are "charmed by Abulhawa’s glittering language".[2] Imogen Edge-Partington, writing for The Student, attributes the novel's success to "its many dimensions and its intricate complexity".[3] Jess, the titular blogger of jessjustreads.com, says that the novel "illustrated a culture that [she knows] very little about [...] in a sensitive and honest setting".[4] Margie Orford, writing for The Independent, describes the author's voice in the book as "a voice that returns to the world the stories of Palestine that we ignore at our peril".[5]
References
- ^ "The Blue Between Sky and Water". Goodreads. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
- ^ a b c d "The Blue between Sky and Water: A Novel | Washington Independent Review of Books". www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
- ^ "The Blue Between Sky and Water". studentnewspaper.org. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
- ^ Jessica (2016-07-29). "The Blue Between Sky and Water by Susan Abulhawa". JESS JUST READS. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
- ^ "The Blue Between Sky and Water by Susan Abulhawa, book review:". The Independent. 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2024-03-01.