How does Daughters of Smoke and Fire compare with other novels that discuss the struggles and triumphs of Middle Eastern people?

How does Daughters of Smoke and Fire compare with other novels that discuss the struggles and triumphs of Middle Eastern people?

I thought that Daughters of Smoke and Fire was very graphic in its description of the tortures that occurred among the people. Also, I had not read anything that had a character fleeing to Canada for safety. This definitely had a different twist than other books I had read about the same culture.

it is a well written, descriptive book that so well describes the challenges, pain and sometimes joy. I like that it is written by a person of the culture as it becomes more credible.

The struggles of the peoples of the Middle East always reflect repeated wars and loss especially with women as the victims. The Kurds are less well known in the west which is strange because they are a large group. I find these novels educational and therefore valuable, but they tend to be very disheartening. The strength of the Kurdish culture was well represented. I will be curious and watchful of developments that make the news.

The struggle of the Syrian people is well represented in Syria’s Secret Library by Mike Thomas. I would highly recommend this true story of humanity struggles during a siege.

I agree with beckys about this one being unique since the main character is able to leave her country and go to Canada. Many of the other stories I've read from that part of the world focus on the lives of people there and none of them have the chance to leave. I would say that most of the books focus of tough to read passages with torture, abuse, and subjugation. The strong character of the people shine through though!

There was no escaping to another country in other similar novels. I do feel it was very graphic. Some of the other books were not as graphic, but you still understood the punishments stated. I’m not sure I needed all the graphic detail but I can say the author certainly drove home the impact. I have recommended this novel for my October’s bookclub. There is much for discussion in a book of this caliber.

Smoke and Fire is a story of revolution and fighting for freedom, but the clarity of the importance of personal freedom is somewhat blurred by the repression visited by one half the society on the other by the rules women are forced to follow, and the risks they run in breaking them. Their chances of committing an offence are twice as high, and their physical vulnerability makes their lives twice as risky. In this story, as so often, women are forced to play their part and express their frustration through what they can do to help male rebels. Couples who lead political lives are playing such a dangerous game that it is a triple challenge to achieve a real level of trust and love - there are repeated forced choices between a loved person and a revered ideal, constant suggestions that choosing a happy personal life equates to treachery to one's country.

I have read several books about the situation in the Middle East. In the majority of the books the main character was female and the book discussed the horrors these women had to face on a daily bases just to keep from being tortured or killed. In many cases by their own husbands or families. This particular novel was more graphic than most in the descriptions of the torture endured. All of these novels are very difficult to read, but do make you realize how lucky we are to be born in America. Today as I watched the news I saw the long line of woman, grasping the hand of one or two children desperate to get away from their homes because they feared for their lives.

I have not read any books about Kurdish people before. I have read about the Armenian Holocaust in Forgotten Fire by Adam Bagdasarian and The Sand Castle Girls by Chris Bohjalian, I have read Khaled Hosseini's books, and Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese, but I have not read anything about Kurdish people and I appreciated the bare reality of what it was like for Leila. It seemed so contradictory... there were moral police but on the other hand there were underground Internet cafes. It was hard to understand how these all meshed together.