I didn’t have a lot of expectations going in to this YA illustrated 156 page translated novel, but I finished it almost a week ago and the smile it induces when I think about it still lingers.  The story telling is so cozy with threads of finding yourself, a hint of romance, a dash of mystery, discussions of Orientalism and pushing back on male depictions of women in art, and above all celebrating the culture of Palestine before the Nakba and the characters’ families relocating to Syria and then having to move again.  Set in France, the story is artsy in an inviting way, and the translation is one of the best I’ve read in a long time in terms of smoothness and flow. As for the illustrations, as odd as it was for them on first glance to be present in a YA book, by the midway point it seemed such a natural inclusion in adding to the story, and allowing the reader to feel connected to the characters and the culture on the pages.  That isn’t to say that this book is flawless, I wish it was more: more story, more angst, more mystery, more crime, more struggle, more reconciliation, more exploration of themes, but if you have an hour and a warm cup of tea or coffee, I would highly recommend grabbing this book, settling in, and enjoying.

SYNOPSIS: (FROM THE PUBLISHER)
Two Palestinian teenagers discover secrets that change all they thought they knew about their family histories, and their own futures.

Farida is a talented young painter who recreates European masterpieces under the patronizing eye of a Parisian art dealer. Mazen just arrived in France to hunt for a lost family heirloom. When the two meet during a chance encounter at the Louvre museum, they discover a shared history between their grandmothers, both of whom fled Palestine during the Nakba in 1948. Drawn to one another, Mazen and Farida join forces to unearth their past, but a shadowy ring of art forgers has its sights set on Farida. Can she unravel the mystery before it’s too late?

Exploring what it means to live in diaspora, The Necklace of Seven Souls moves from Paris to Haifa, from Aleppo to Tangier, conjuring the jewel tones of the Mediterranean and the bittersweet taste of memory.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I like that it had a lot of layers, despite the short page count and that it feels like a snapshot of two characters meeting at a moment in time and nothing ever being the same.  The framing of fine art and dropping names of famous artistsand works, is not something I often see by Muslim authors with Muslim characters and I loved that it offered opinions and commentary woven in to make the reader feel included and open to agree or disagree.

There is not much Islam, and I don’t know if the author identifies as Muslim, or honestly if the character does either. There are some culturally “Islamic” clues, but the story doesn’t use faith as a factor in handling the moral factors of “forgery,” crime, or relationships.

FLAGS:

Relationships, forgery, mention of alcohol, the protagonist declines, secrets, invasion, loss, occupation, physical assault, nothing is dwelled upon, just referenced in setting tone and establishing political and immigration factors.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

Yes go read it, and then lets talk! I think this would be a great little extra credit high school English read and write or discuss book, or a quick little book club selection.  The short book and discussion points would be fun and easy and hopefully give the participants a literary reason to smile.