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A Novel
by Ava HomaThe unforgettable, haunting story of a young woman's perilous fight for freedom and justice for her brother, the first novel published in English by a female Kurdish writer.
Set in Iran, this extraordinary debut novel takes readers into the everyday lives of the Kurds. Leila dreams of making films to bring the suppressed stories of her people onto the global stage, but obstacles keep piling up. Leila's younger brother Chia, influenced by their father's past torture, imprisonment, and his deep-seated desire for justice, begins to engage with social and political affairs. But his activism grows increasingly risky and one day he disappears in Tehran. Seeking answers about her brother's whereabouts, Leila fears the worst and begins a campaign to save him. But when she publishes Chia's writings online, she finds herself in grave danger as well.
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...
Here are some of the comments posted about Daughters of Smoke and Fire in our legacy forum.
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
Through her characters, Homa gives voice to the struggles of a people who have been without a state since their territory was divided in the 17th century. This work is urgent and necessary. It is a story of resistance, but beyond that, it's the story of the power of the creative spirit to rise above oppression and endure. It's a story of the power of love and hope...continued
Full Review (693 words)
(Reviewed by Naomi Benaron).
Kurdistan is a mountainous region that includes parts of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Armenia. The Kurds' territory was first partitioned between the Ottoman and Safavid Empires in the 17th century. The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne at the end of World War I divided the region into its current configuration. Despite its geographic size and a population of between 25 and 35 million Kurds, Kurdistan has never achieved statehood, and all efforts to establish independence have been met with brutal repression. Today, in Iraq and Syria, the Kurds have autonomously governed regions. In Armenia, the Kurds are granted a representative seat in parliament. In Turkey and Iran, where armed struggle for independence continues, Kurdish resistance groups are ...
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