Say hello to the first book to make me cry since The Book Thief in 2007
But in all seriousness, this is the kind of book that has so many jagged pieces that can resonate with anyone (or cut deep, deep, deep). One of the themes that really got me was the idea of what home means. For Noor, it's Sal and Misbah - and, when that fails, music. For Sal, it's the motel filled with memories of his mom - and, though he discovers it too late, Noor.
When everything goes wrong, when you're all out of options, where do you turn? Both Noor and Sal hit that wall and face their desperation differently, and watching the way their stories collided and receded like a tide on the shore (inevitable but also with varying levels of intensity) emphasized both stories.
And then there was Misbah. Her emotional recount of the events leading up to the start of Sal and Noor's story in the book gave so much depth and served as the glue that held everything together.
But the last two parts are where all that emotional impact was finally driven home for me. Even thinking about them would be spoilers, so just read it.
But in all seriousness, this is the kind of book that has so many jagged pieces that can resonate with anyone (or cut deep, deep, deep). One of the themes that really got me was the idea of what home means. For Noor, it's Sal and Misbah - and, when that fails, music. For Sal, it's the motel filled with memories of his mom - and, though he discovers it too late, Noor.
When everything goes wrong, when you're all out of options, where do you turn? Both Noor and Sal hit that wall and face their desperation differently, and watching the way their stories collided and receded like a tide on the shore (inevitable but also with varying levels of intensity) emphasized both stories.
And then there was Misbah. Her emotional recount of the events leading up to the start of Sal and Noor's story in the book gave so much depth and served as the glue that held everything together.
But the last two parts are where all that emotional impact was finally driven home for me. Even thinking about them would be spoilers, so just read it.