A Girl Made of Dust
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Review
‘I adored “A Girl Made of Dust”. It touched my heart in so many ways. When I picked it up to read I was compelled to finish – I could not put it down. It was at once tender and tragic and Nathalie Abi-Ezzi wonderfully evoked that transient aspect of childhood where everything is possible. It is a book that begs to be re-read. The first time I rushed through to get to the end and the second time I slowed down to more fully appreciate the lovely language and authentic setting that Nathalie Abi-Ezzi created. “A Girl Made of Dust” is one of those books you can't help but think about long after you finish. A truly remarkable story.’ Patricia Wood, author of ‘Lottery’, shortlisted for the 2008 Orange Prize
‘Captivating. A subtle, pertinent depiction of civilian life in the midst of bewildering conflict.’ Catherine Taylor, Guardian
‘A timely evocation of civilian suffering underneath the ubiquities of war…Heart-breaking and profound.’ Sunday Business Post
‘A moving insight into brutal conflict.’ Financial Times
‘Unnervingly real and gripping. Abi-Ezzi skilfully introduces the reader to a life in fear of bombs and stray bullets, as well as how new hope can be born from affliction.’ Ingrid Lamprecht, Socialist Review
Catherine Taylor, Guardian
'...A subtle, pertinent depiction of civilian life in the midst of bewildering conflict.'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A Girl Made of Dust is a coming of age story set in the hills above Beirut. The location is very nicely evoked, and the encroaching war (though it is always present in the background) does not overpower the plot. The feeling of a young child observing the world is mostly very well done, and the story is strong enough to draw you in.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Nathalie Abi-Ezzi's novel is not your traditional war novel - there's not much first-hand drama here and you never see the military. Yet from an apparently insubstantial starting point, this novel says more about war than many more graphic tales.
Set in a village outside Beirut, "A Girl Made of Dust" follows the escalating conflict in Lebanon through the eyes of Ruba, a young girl. The story starts slowly, depicting Ruba's life in a family already broken by conflict. Ruba's father spends his days at home; he no longer opens his shop and barely notices his children or the huge emotional and financial strain his inactivity is putting on his family. Ruba has no idea why her father is like that or why her mother and grandmother are so sad but desperately wants to make everything right. With childish innocence she latches onto religion, custom, superstition, anything she part overhears to explain or heal her father.
This becomes a beautifully intimate novel: A finely drawn picture of how war encroaches upon civilian lives. The book is progressively more moving as it shows how slowly but surely war destroys people and any opportunities they have to lead a normal life. Abi-Ezzi really catches the child's view of life, the attention to odd details, the innocence, the miscomprehension of adult behaviour, the belief in good and bad. She also fills the novel with heart-breakingly moving episodes; such as the tea with a neighbour soon to leave Lebanon, or the local children's games, changed to incorporate the violence they've become accustomed too.
Ultimately, this is a great read, beautifully written. You won't come away knowing much more about Lebanon or the battles that have raged there, but you will come away with a better sense of how precious peace is.
Set in a village outside Beirut, "A Girl Made of Dust" follows the escalating conflict in Lebanon through the eyes of Ruba, a young girl. The story starts slowly, depicting Ruba's life in a family already broken by conflict. Ruba's father spends his days at home; he no longer opens his shop and barely notices his children or the huge emotional and financial strain his inactivity is putting on his family. Ruba has no idea why her father is like that or why her mother and grandmother are so sad but desperately wants to make everything right. With childish innocence she latches onto religion, custom, superstition, anything she part overhears to explain or heal her father.
This becomes a beautifully intimate novel: A finely drawn picture of how war encroaches upon civilian lives. The book is progressively more moving as it shows how slowly but surely war destroys people and any opportunities they have to lead a normal life. Abi-Ezzi really catches the child's view of life, the attention to odd details, the innocence, the miscomprehension of adult behaviour, the belief in good and bad. She also fills the novel with heart-breakingly moving episodes; such as the tea with a neighbour soon to leave Lebanon, or the local children's games, changed to incorporate the violence they've become accustomed too.
Ultimately, this is a great read, beautifully written. You won't come away knowing much more about Lebanon or the battles that have raged there, but you will come away with a better sense of how precious peace is.
Format:Paperback
'A Girl Made of Dust' is written from the perspective of a child - Ruba - living in Lebanon during the conflict of the 1980s. The style is description heavy - almost too much so in places - although the writing is beautiful and the descriptions in themselves good. It has a rather slow start but picks up pace later on and despite its fondness for style, it does actually contain some good substance in terms of plot.
At first the writing being from a child's perspective annoyed me, but by the end I'd got used to it and I actually think it was a good way to tell the story. Abi-Ezzi finds a way to make the story engaging to an adult audience and still bring home both the horror and some of the political aspects of the conflict, whilst retaining the essential innocence and straightforwardness of a child's perspective.
Overall, a good book that was engaging and even quite compelling.
At first the writing being from a child's perspective annoyed me, but by the end I'd got used to it and I actually think it was a good way to tell the story. Abi-Ezzi finds a way to make the story engaging to an adult audience and still bring home both the horror and some of the political aspects of the conflict, whilst retaining the essential innocence and straightforwardness of a child's perspective.
Overall, a good book that was engaging and even quite compelling.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Life in the Lebanon... when you're eight and the war is getting ever...
It may take a little while to adjust to the narrative voice of `A girl made of dust', but it's worth persevering. Read more
Published on 20 April 2010 by E. J. Marshall
Everyday life in Beirut
I have to admit that this is a conflict that everyone knows about from the news and yet doesn't really sink in, until you read a book like this and then begin to wonder WHY?. Read more
Published on 10 Mar 2010 by Book chatter
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