literarymarvel's reviews
3136 reviews

This book was incredibly relevant and eye-opening. Shamieh really hit home with the emotional, familial, and mental struggles of Palestine's history through the perspectives of a grandmother and her granddaughter in two different eras. We see the first movements of the Zionists in the 1940's to rid their new country of Palestinian people, displacing and killing tens of thousands. Then we view Israel in 2012 - military check points, Israeli soldiers with machine guns wandering the streets. Gaza and the West Bank cut off from trade and resources. And we all know what happens in the 2020's. Moving and infuriating as it is about the resilience of a displaced people.

Another stunning story by Daniel Black. I was over 3/4 of the way through the novel when Isaac saw his father's letters and I started crying realizing that Daniel was connecting Don't Cry for Me with Isaac's Song. I love that these companion stories, which delve into the incredibly tough and complex topic of Black queerness and masculinity, give us two very different but intertwined perspectives on a father and son's relationship. Poetic, inspiring, raw, emotional. Daniel Black is one of the best. 

An eye-opening history of the invention and evolution of the rape kit. I hope this books changes what we know about history and it is no shock that a woman was responsible for creating arguably one of the most important forensic items instituted.