G1213 Book review of Spring by Leila Rafei

Name of Book: Spring

Author: Leila Rafei

ISBN: 9781982672577

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Type of book: Egypt, religion, 2011, rioting, revolution, lemons, gardening, history, secrets, mysteries, Africa, refugees, class, gender, attention, possibilities, gossip 

Year it was published: 2020

Summary:

Three stories. One revolution. Eighteen days in Egypt.

Sami is no revolutionary. When the Arab Spring breaks out in 2011, he's busy finishing school in Cairo and hiding his relationship with an American woman from his conservative mother, Suad. It's a task that's becoming impossible as events take a catastrophic turn.

But Suad won't be fooled -- her son has been distant and she knows it's not about politics. Far away in the Nile Delta, she spends her days tending obsessively to her lemon grove, which is quickly becoming her last vestige of control. The only child who remains by her side is her daughter, but as she, too, gets involved with the protests, Suad realizes it won't last for long.

There's one person who knows exactly what's going on in the family, and she wishes she didn't. The maid, Jamila, already has too much to worry about as a refugee who's lobbying for resettlement, expecting a baby, and looking for her missing husband. All she wants is stability, and that her dreams won't be thwarted by the unrest sweeping a city she doesn't belong to -- a city that doesn't even want her there.

As the country revolts against the regime it has always known, Jamila, Sami, and Suad find themselves caught in the whirlwind as they examine their own life choices and, in some cases, deal with the inevitable heartbreak that follows when revolution is not always what it seems.

Characters:

Main characters include Sami, a twenty two year old Egyptian lapsed Muslim male who secretly has an American girlfriend and he also seems to have love/hate relationship with her. At first he wants to thumb nose at others, but then begins to care a lot for appearances, and he also feels as if he is trapped by this particular relationship. Jamilas is a Sudanese refuge and a maid to Samis girlfriend. She has her own secrets and wishes and often finds Sami and his girlfriend to be, well, condescending and naive. Suad is Samis mother, and she enjoys order, gardening and prayers. She worries a lot more about her son than her daughter, and often seems to resent or is angry by the youth of 2011.  

Theme:

Life goes in circles, theme of return 

Plot:

The story is told from third person narrative, particularly from Samis, Jamilas and Suads points of view, each chapter dedicated to one of the three characters. What I think are the strongest points of the story are the characters and subtleties about life that Leila brings up, namely the story isn't preachy or doesn't beat one over the head with ideas. The characters, either you love or hate them, but I doubt that neutral feelings will remain in ones bosom ( I definitely hated Sami...) and I feel as if I will spoil the journey and delight of other readers should I discuss the subtleties the tale contains.  

 
Author Information:
(From the book)

Leila Rafei grew up in the Washington D.C. area and lives in New York. Spring is her first novel. 

Opinion:

I liked the book, but am not sure how to start yet. SPRING is definitely a symbolic tale and it dares to question our assumptions about rioting, gender, media and class. The author, Leila Rafei, explored these themes and more in her stunning debut novel. The story begins with Sami and Rose, a mixed race  couple of an American woman and a lapsed Muslim Egyptian and the fact that they have to hide a secret from Samis authoritarian mother. In the story is also a female refuge, Jamila from Sudan who is trying to get away from Egypt into a better spot, and Suad, Samis authoritarian mother who seems to be bitter and often regrets her history. A line that really struck me in the story is that boys are far more fragile than women, which is something I hadn't seen any books address or even discuss. 

This was given for a review 

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)