Reviews of Daughters of Smoke and Fire by Ava Homa

AVA HOMA
Daughters of Smoke and Fire, starting page 48

"How would it happen when you were in prison?" Chia pressed his luck.

"At midnight," he said, "they would call names. We were eighty inmates in one wing— sometimes more, sometimes less. Anyone whose name was called after the sun went down never came back."

I pricked up my ears from my invisible post. Baba's gaze remained on the flowers woven into the rug, his expression neutral, reminiscent. "We would listen for and count the gunshots right before sunrise, and with a fork, we'd engrave the date and the estimated number of people executed on the walls of our cells."

I steadied myself on the doorframe. My brother sat rigidly.

Baba continued stoically. "Every time that loudspeaker crackled, every time a guard turned it on and blew into it, every time someone whose name started with A was called ..." He stopped and glanced at Chia, through Chia, as if Chia weren't there. "The ones who were called had only a moment to give their...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Traveling through books is a rewarding experience — inexpensive, convenient, and heart-opening. Daughters of Smoke and Fire takes you to Kurdistan, Iran, Iraq, and Canada. How was your experience following characters across the globe?
2. Readers often like to see what they have in common with people in various parts of the world. Did you see parts of yourself reflected back to you in Daughters of Smoke and Fire? What were they? Did you relate to one character more than others? Who were they and what made that character most relatable?
3. Daughters of Smoke and Fire opens a window into the challenging lives of a stateless people who have been robbed of their right to live, or to live in peace. It's a difficult novel to write and ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers!

Here are some of the comments posted about Daughters of Smoke and Fire.
You can see the full discussion here.


Are there specific people to whom you'd recommend this book? Who would enjoy reading it, and who should read it?
The entire book should be flagged with trigger warnings for readers who cannot tolerate despondency, war tactics, suicidal thoughts and actions, and/or explicit descriptions of physical violence. However, readers should also be prepared to fully... - julib

Coming of age in an authoritarian society
I agree with the previous statements. I cannot even image living under the restrictions put upon girls and women. Hours they were allowed to use the library, being seen alone, being considered a temptation to men so they must be completed covered. ... - reene

Daughters of Smoke and Fire is a difficult novel to write and to read. Why is it important for us to read untold stories? What did you gain from reading this novel in particular?
This book gave a clear picture of the more recent history of the Kurds and what it is like to be a Kurdish refugee. It was an important insight into the struggles, discriminations and desires of the Kurdish people. I gained a good bit of knowledge ... - lynneb

Daughters of Smoke and Fire takes you to Kurdistan, Iran, Iraq, and Canada. How was your experience following characters across the globe?
Love the experience of learning about different locations through reading; in particular areas of our world that might prove unsafe to visit or otherwise out-of-budget for travel, etc. Important lesson in life to expand thinking to include ... - julib

Did you agree with Karo's decision not to tell Leila the whole truth about the incident with Chia until much later? What about Leila's frequent dishonesty with her parents? Are times in which lying is necessary?
It did seem that hiding the truth was a common theme in this culture and time. The situation that Karo and Leila and Shiler and Joanna and all found themselves in required some lies at times to preserve life and dignity for themselves and to spare ... - lynneb