Daughters of Smoke and Fire: A Novel

was super into this at the get go but kind of fell off halfway through. might also be biased because most of this was depressing and there's too much sadness in the news now with people losing their land and culture. also got annoyed with the main character quite often.

Truly captivated by this debut novel from beginning to end! I had no prior knowledge of the stateless Kurdistan and especially its oppression by countries like Iran and Iraq. This novel was very visceral and upfront about the atrocities that can occur, I'm haunted by the fact that that self immolation is the highest cause of suicide in Kurdish women. Reading through each chapter was like taking a gut punch and I became overwhelmed with emotion during certain parts. I came to really care for the characters and their respective journeys, especially Leila and Chia. I loved how gutsy Leila became through the course of the story, weaving her own trajectory through all the heartbreak and brutality that was hurled at her. There were certainly elements of thriller and suspense along with family drama and sprinkles of hope throughout. As a Toronto native, it was interesting reading about the sights and sounds of the city from an immigrant's perspective. A beautiful, necessary, heartbreaking read full of grit, courage and resiliency. It broke my heart, but also pieced it back together again with its hopeful ending. Bravo 5 stars!