The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years: A Novel | 
pickI almost put this down - it was very sow and high on the magical realism which. Is not my favourite but slowly it pulled me in. I really loved the atmospheric old house in Durban, truly a character in its own right and also enjoyed hearing about the Indian immigrants to South Africa something I did not know about about. Ultimately I think this will stick - a story of missed opportunity, trauma and childhood hurt and more
pickThis beautifully written novel explores how childhood trauma affects us, and how the ghosts of that trauma accompany us as we become adults. Told in two timelines, we slowly come to know the Djiin as he/she wears multiple faces in the grand home called Akbar Manzil. The young woman, Sana, haunted by the ghost of her twin, is our guide. Misclassed by my Library as fantasy, this is wondrous story literary fiction at its finest. Highly recommended.
pickA mid-level Pick, this is beautifully written & has some really nice Magical Realism elements - a sentient house, a shape-shifting djinn & the ghost of the MC's sister. It has a busy, sometimes a little messy, plot, but the dual time line is engaging & the characters are vivid & amusing. There is a poignancy that is really lovely, some quite gorgeous passages, and the ending is Just Right (a rare thing) An enjoyable summer read.
#camplitsy24 My votes are in! I can't wait to see what books get chosen.
Thank you for hosting. @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB @Megabooks
Described by PW as “neo-gothic fiction,“ which explains a lot. I feel like the djinn. I am the metaphor.
pickThis was very good. It's really historical fiction with dual timelines that also happens to have a djinn and some ghosts. I thought it was really well executed.
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
"Surely, love was not a thing that always left?"
Oh, to be young, naive, and 15 again. (Or maybe I'm just jaded).?
Part 2 - Chapter 3 of this book...
SLAPPED and ATTACKED.
So far, a good one. ~40% in.
“Her voice sounded like the stars. Like a language it knew from another world and another time. It spread through the sky like scattered glass. She sang of her village far away in another land. Of her longing for home. The djinn watched the words linger in the air. She is different, thought the djinn. She is a different human.”
- The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years
#aardvarkbookclub #historicalfiction #fantasy
pickThis will be one of my top books for 2024. Beautifully written and an intriguing plot and I couldn't put it down. It's the story of a house with a history and a young girl who discovers that history. A Gothic atmosphere pervades the story.
so-soA slow, quiet novel about home and grief that, admittedly, sometimes stumbled for me. The djinn is more metaphor here than active participant in the story and a lot of the narrative lives in metaphor. https://youtu.be/-6vG7_-GOpE
pickDespite the slow, slow start to this novel, I kept with it and am genuinely glad that I did! While some of the narratives get garbled with perspective at times, this surprisingly epic story does genuinely reel in the reader. Sana moves to Durban with her widower father, haunted by her own past, to a crumbling manor haunted by its own past. Parts play out predictably, but there are some surprises too- though Sana feels younger than she should…
pick“Haunting and healing, The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years, with its shades of The House of Spirits and Rebecca, is one of the best books I‘ve read this year…Khan‘s gorgeous writing lays bare what it means to love, grieve, haunt and, ultimately, let go.”
– Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author of Other Birds and Garden Spells
pickAfter a slow start, the story finds its footing & keeps you turning pages as you work your way to the inevitable end. Set on a formerly grand estate in South Africa, it‘s the story of a young girl named Sana who, as curious young people often do, discovers the house has secrets including the truth about the mysterious death of the former owner‘s second wife. Entertaining read with a cast of eccentric characters & a great setting. On sale 1/9/24.
Pulled another ARC from the pile for my next read. This one is set to be released 1/9/24.
