![post image](https://litsy-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/posts/post_images/2024/04/20/1713648369-662432f1648a2-image-file.jpg)
![Pick](https://image.librarything.com/pics/litsy_webpics/icon_pick.png)
4.5⭐️/5⭐️
Muna immigrates from Lebanon to Montreal in 1986, two years after her husband was kidnapped during the Civil War in Lebanon. It was believed that he was dead and his family wanted to be rid of her and their son. This is an important, character driven story for Canadians about the immigrants' experience.
Most days, I manage not to purchase any dragon-shaped body pillows I‘ve gotta carry home on my bike.
Today was not most days.
On the book front, I‘ve decided to pause my current YA fantasy because I‘ve read it too herky-jerky piecemeal. I‘ll see if I can‘t sink into HOTLINE tonight instead, then go back to the other book when I can really focus on it.
I wanted nothing but good things for Muna and her son. This reminded me a lot of my time teaching ELL to newcomers and the variety of stories people come to Canada with. So far it‘s between this and Ducks for Canada Reads.
Muna can‘t move on with her new life in Canada when she doesn‘t know what happened to her husband after he disappeared in Lebanon. Set in the 1980s, this is a compelling story of a young immigrant mother and her son attempting to survive and then thrive in a new country. Unfortunately, the writing felt distant and cold. While I am sure that is how Muna felt during her first Canadian winter, it was a turnoff for me. #CanadaReads
A beautiful book about a single mom, newly immigrated to 1980s Montreal, doing what she can to survive and start to find a dream for the future. There are hard times, but also kind people and good hearts as she tries to redefine what life is and can be in the face of a whole new world.
#CanadaReads
I had this on my shelves ever since it made the Giller longlist last year, then I was spurred to pick it up because it's in the running for Canada Reads. Wow! I fell hard for the wonderful central character, widowed Muna, who escaped the Lebanese civil war in the 1980s by emigrating to Montreal with her young son. #CanadianAuthor
Brief reviews of my January faves are on my blog, along with stats and links to my booktube videos. If you‘re interested:
https://lindypratch.blogspot.com/2023/02/january-2023-reading-stats-and-booktube...