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Book Reviewed by:From the celebrated author of As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow comes a poignant novel about a Syrian American girl who uses a magical sketchbook to turn her grief into art, painting miraculous murals of her mother's life in Syria.
Seventeen-year-old Jihad Dabbagh has always seen life with a heightened sense for colors, one of many magical blessings the women in her family possess. But Jihad's gift changes depending on her mood. When depression sets in, the world is a colorless oasis, and in the wake of her mother's sudden death, the world has become a permanent shade of grey.
Broken by tragedy, Jihad's family doesn't believe her color loss. Her father sends her to the elite Braxton Academy to finish her senior year. There, Jihad's name and hijab put a target on her back. Her haven comes in the form of an old sketchbook carved from a tree in her hometown in Syria—a country she only knew through her mother's stories. Jihad hasn't picked up a brush in over a year, but finds herself channeling the colors of her hurt, pain, and grief as she paints the story of her mother's journey in Syria.
When graffiti of that same mural starts magically popping up all over New York, her art goes viral and the world takes notice, the threat of legal consequences is imminent. To reclaim her voice, Jihad will have to paint a new future for herself and Braxton, guided by the resilience of her mother's story.
The assumptions people make, the feeling of standing out, and the pressure to repeatedly explain yourself are realities many Muslim readers will understand. Katouh handles these instances honestly, showing both obvious and subtle ways prejudice can affect someone's confidence and sense of belonging. "Our words, our meanings, my name, my meaning—all crushed under the boot of racism." What makes Jihad compelling is that she is not written as a fearless hero. She often struggles to stand up for herself and sometimes chooses silence over confrontation. While that may frustrate some readers, it felt realistic to me. It is easy to tell someone to be brave, but much harder to find courage when you feel alone or misunderstood. Watching Jihad slowly learn to trust herself and speak up makes her growth feel earned rather than rushed...continued
Full Review
(531 words)
(Reviewed by Amani Altwam).
In The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue by Zoulfa Katouh, art becomes more than a creative outlet for Jihad. As she struggles with the death of her mother and the challenges of being a visibly Muslim teenager, art allows her to express emotions that often feel too overwhelming to say aloud. With elements of magical realism, Jihad's drawings begin to take on a life of their own, her artwork becoming a powerful reflection of her memories, fears, and hope. "Mama may be gone, but she will live in this art. She will survive outside the ghostly confines of this apartment. Her story will bring her to life." Katouh presents art not as a cure for grief, but as a way for Jihad to understand her pain and begin moving forward. This portrayal reflects the ...
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