Atia AbawiRezensionen

"From award-winning journalist Abawi (The Secret Sky, 2014) comes an unforgettable novel that brings readers face to face with the global refugee crisis.

Tareq, a young Syrian teenager, changes his daily routine as airstrikes on his city increase. When his home is hit by a bomb that kills most of his family in one day, Tareq is suddenly a refugee, traveling with his father and one surviving younger sister, Susan, to another Syrian town, then out of Syria to Turkey. When life in Turkey offers little hope, Tareq’s father sends him and Susan to make the treacherous trip to Greece by water. Through incredible dangers and suffering, they meet refugees and aid workers from across the globe. Abawi integrates just enough background information into the plot to make the story and characters comprehensible. The narrator is Destiny, whose authoritative voice suits the tragic and dramatic turns of plot. The narrator’s philosophical asides allow readers just enough distance to balance the intimacy of the suffering witnessed along the journey while helping to place the Syrian crisis in global and historical context as part of the cycle of humanity. The direct address challenges readers in a way that is heavy-handed only at the end, but even so it is chillingly effective.

A heartbreaking, haunting, and necessary story that offers hope while laying bare the bleakness of the world Tareq leaves and the new one he seeks to join . (Fiction. 12-18)" www.kirkusreviews.com, A Kirkus Starred Review

The Secret Sky by Atia Abawi

Set in Afghanistan, Fatima a Hazara girl and Samiullah, a Pashtun boy fall in love. It is forbidden for them to be together. When they go against their families there are dire consequences. What will happen to Fatima, Samiullah (and) their families for their act of defiance in a Culture that dictates who you can marry and love?

Fatima and Samiullah are kind, caring and very likable. Rashid, the cousin of Samiullah is envious, jealous, a troubled (dangerous) young man. Told in alternating voices between them, I was able to feel what they were going through. With vivid details and raw emotions I was pulled into their lives. At times I cried as events unfolded in this emotionally charged story. I recommend The Secret Sky to Adults and *Young Adult readers.

*17+ due to some graphic content

It is vital that the refugee crisis is told to all audiences, including young adult, and Syria is about as terrible as there is. But, while the characters were okay, the story was kind of dull. The volunteers, in particular, were not well developed either, although I liked Abawi's effort to include their perspective.

This YA novel isn't a true story per se, but it is inspired by actual accounts the author came across while living in Afghanistan. It's a story of forbidden young love in an unforgiving environment where the Taliban and their cruelty have become a part of everyday life. I found it emotionally engaging, and I can't wait to start sharing this with my students. If I could afford to buy a class set, this would be our next read.

A young adult fiction book focussing on refugees fleeing the Syrian civil war, through Turkey and into Europe. It has its heart in the right place and captures the trauma and despair that many refugees suffer.½

If this book doesn't change your thinking about what it means to be a refugee from a country torn apart by war, I don't know what would?

This is about a family that is torn apart by death, distance, finances.

It is about the horrible people who make money off of these poor people who have nowhere to go and no way to get there.

It is also about the helpers. The volunteers who show up because they heard there was a need and it called them to action, not just thoughts and prayers. About fellow refugees who have just a smidge more and are happy to share it with those who have nothing.

This book was appropriately disturbing and is going to stick with me for a long time. I think it’s an important book that has the potential to make readers rethink their perspective on refugees. I loved the unusual narrator, Destiny. I think my students are going to love this book. It would pair well with Alan Gratz Refugee.

I think this is a really good book that allows children to get a sense of what it is like to live somewhere else and understand the different culture. I would also not recommend this book for little kids because this is definitely more of a young adult book but I think it still has some informational value to it.

Destiny is the narrator in this book. While the device didn't work for me, I found the story compelling and thought provoking. Tareq's life turns upside down when a bomb destroys his family's home, killing several of his family members. Soon Tareq, his father and baby sister are going further into the country to visit family to gain resources to try to flee both the increasingly violent government and the rebel groups (ISIS). Soon they are refugees in Turkey trying to save money to get a smuggler to take them to Europe. It is an arduous journey and tragedy strikes so quickly that it is hard to even absorb all that has happened. The struggle of the characters are heartbreaking and the story sheds much light on the struggles of refugees around the world trying to look for a place to survive, be safe.

Read in day. Easy read. Compelling and currency of subject relevant to readers affected by refugee relocations.
Gritty and definitely realistic. Suspension of disbelief based on author’s background. This book delves into the current Syrian situation with many factions vying for power and the effects upon the people who live there. Explanations of various religious factions and political uprisings are shared throughout the plight of a Syrian family. Many refugee stories are woven into this stark narrative making this not just about Syria but all countries affected by uprisings. Recommend for those interested in the Middle East cultures, refugees, and Muslim religion; young adults and teens; and family survival stories.

The family is at home, even if it is war outside, they still have themselves; Tareq, his younger brother Salim, the girls Farrah and Susan and the baby twins. He respected his mother Nour and his father Fayed and of course also his grand-mother. When a bomb hits their house, only Tareq and Susan can be saved, luckily their father was at work and is also alive. They decide it is time to leave the country, after such a loss, what is it that keeps them still there? But first, they need to go to Raqqa where Fayed’s brother lives who can lend them money. Yet, Raqqa is deep in the Daesh controlled area and going there is highly risky. But this is only the beginning of a journey which hopefully ends somewhere in Europe in peace and safety.

Atia Abawi, an American journalist who spent many years in the middle east as a correspondent and is a daughter of Afghan refugees, has chosen the number one topic in the news of the last two years for her second novel. It is her background, both personal and professional, which can be found throughout the novel; you feel in every line that she knows what she is writing about and that neither the emotions she puts in her characters nor the experiences they make are just invented, but exactly what people undergo. At times, the style of the novel has some traces of journalistic work, leaves the pure fiction, but this does not reduce the quality of the novel at all.

First of all, what I really appreciated was the fact that she does not victimize her characters. Already at the beginning of the novel, they are hit by a major loss, but they keep on fighting and do not rely on others. The risk a lot, see evil deeds committed by Daesh fighters, but still remain human themselves. The part I found especially interesting was Tareq’s time in Turkey. It is not only the large number of Syrians being stranded there and setting up a kind of community parallel to the Turkish, but first and foremost the way they are exploited, how people are trying to make profit from their fate which is annoying. Yet, I guess this is just reality.

It is just the story of one family, however, it represents what many people all over the world go through. None of them wanted to leave their country, none of them wants to live in another country of which they neither know the language nor the culture, many of them believe that those who have died are blessed because they do not have to undergo this. Considering all the negative news about refugees, we should not forget their perspective. Atia Abawi has given them a beautiful and engrossing voice.

Too many deaths for love. Just re-enforces the reason for not being in Afghanistan. The death and issues related to women are so outside the acceptable behaviors that you wonder why more Afghans don't protest or fight for rights.

What starts as a tentative romance between two teen members of rival Afghan tribes becomes a suspenseful story with plot twists as their relationship and even their lives are threatened by religious extremism and the conservative mores of their society. Young people who've heard a lot about Afghanistan will enjoy and be enlightened by this personal treatment of "real Afghans."

This book is much more than a forbidden romance between two teenagers from different tribes and social backgrounds. It gives an excellent insight into the culture, daily life and religion of Afghanistan, and shows the terrible consequences that can occur when rules are broken. Although the violence at times is stomach-churning, "The Secret Sky" is a riveting story with sympathetic characters, a gentle romance and a fascinating backdrop, creating a myriad of emotions.

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The Secret Sky isn’t a book I would ordinarily pick up. While I love diverse novels, I tend to steer clear of that little phrase “forbidden love,” which in this context likely meant “sob story.” In most cases, I like my love stories to end happily. The Secret Sky sounded really depressing, so I wasn’t sure I was interested in it. Still, an ARC showed up unsolicited at my house. Still not sure, I tried a couple pages and didn’t love the writing style. I determined to pass, but then the audio came to me and I listened and I’m very glad that I did. The Secret Sky IS depressing, but it also gave me a window on a society I know nothing about and didn’t hit that point where it was so sad that I could not even anymore.

Really horrible things happen in The Secret Sky. I expected some unhappiness, because hello forbidden love, but I wasn’t prepared for just how dark this book got. In light of that, it’s amazing that it didn’t really feel unrelentingly depressing or like a total condemnation of everything that Afghanistan is. Abawi manages to balance the darkness with the light and to convey a sense that dark forces are on top now, but that there’s a lot of good underneath.

The love story between Fatima and Sami is one I would classify as sweet. They manage some light banter, but mostly they’re childhood friends transitioning into love. Unfortunately, they’re not allowed to be together, because Sami is Pashtun and Fatima is Hazara. These two groups differ ethnically and do not get along because of their historical backgrounds. I’m really oversimplifying this, but if you’re curious, google it because I am so not the best person to explain. The two just want to get married, but this desire sets a series of horrible events in motion.

Abawi makes a really unique decision with the storytelling in The Secret Sky. Ordinarily, a romance novel would have just the two points of view, those of the lovers. In this case, there’s a third: Rashid. I was really startled by his perspective at first, because I wasn’t expecting the villain of sorts to have a first person perspective. Rashid catches Sami and Fatima talking and assumes the worst. He believes God will punish them, but wants to help God out by telling on them.

Rashid and Sami were both off at school, but they reacted to the teachings in disparate ways. Rashid fell under the influence of the Taliban and became hugely judgmental. Sami hated the school and that element. These two are cousins and Rashid has always been jealous of Sami, who is the family favorite, so seeing Sami make a mistake he wants to take advantage.

The Secret Sky, however, is not all about the horrors of the Taliban. It’s also about the good people, like the Mullah who helps the two. Islam is not the villain here. I think what makes the story easier to palate in part is Rashid’s character arc. While he caused everything, he also learns throughout the story, and I came to feel a bit sorry for him, because he honestly didn’t expect for things to go the way they did. He was naive and idealistic in the worst way.

The other thing that really made The Secret Sky work for me was the audiobook format. I’m not sure if the writing style would have been my thing, and I can’t comment on how well the perspectives are done. The audiobook narration, however, is fabulous for sure. Both Ariana Delawari and Assaf Cohen do a great job capturing the personalities of their characters. Assaf plays both male roles, but I think he distinguishes between Rashid and Sami well, imbuing Rashid’s voice with rage. This is one of those cases where I think the audiobook really brought the book to life for me.

I highly recommend The Secret Sky, particularly in audiobook format. Those who cry easily in books might want to prepare some tissues.

This is a captivating novel which can be read and understood on many different levels. Two teenagers, Fatima and Sami, grew up as best friends but can no longer be seen together because they are not the same sex and do not belong to the same societal class. Sami's cousin, finds the two walking in the woods and decides the situation needs to be addressed. In his zeal, he goes to the head of the Taliban, his hero, to address the issue, only to discover his hero is not who he thought. This is a book of love, coming of age, societal clash and hero worship. . This author captures the conflicts that can occur in an Afghanistan family. A must read! This would be a great book for book discussion as it can be read and understood on many levels. I will definitely pick up other books by this author.