Paper Sparrows by Nathalie Abi-Ezzi

I'm delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for this beautiful book - something a wee bit different for me. Huge thanks to Emma Welton at damppebblestours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb:

It is the summer of 2006, and nineteen-year-old London music student, Layla, returns home for the holidays to a now peaceful Lebanon. When she arrives, though, she finds that her troubled younger brother has gone missing. "Borrowing" her father's car, she heads to Beirut to search for him, meeting a variety of people along the way. But her quest is cut short when, without warning, Beirut comes under heavy artillery fire. A new war has begun, and now she is trapped in the middle of it.

Paper Sparrows was published in paperback and digital format by Holland House Books on 5th March 2020.

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK
Amazon US
Waterstones
Foyles
WHSmith


My Review:

Before I talk about the book itself, can I just give it some cover love? I'm not easily influenced by covers but this one is really attractive. I love how everything comes together into something gorgeous.

This book is a departure for me, not my usual thing at all, but it appealed to me. I am horribly ignorant of the history and politics of this area of the world so it was an interesting read from that point of view, but this is a very human story.

Nineteen year old Layla has been studying music in London but is returning home to Lebanon for the holidays for the first time in three years. She is devastated when her brother isn't there to welcome her back. Sixteen year old Ziad has stormed off to a friend's place in Beirut after an argument with his father. When he is still not home after nearly two days and there has been no contact from him, Layla borrows her father's car and heads off to Beirut to look for him, even though there is a threat of war on the horizon. When she arrives at the home of Ziad's friend Jacques, she discovers that he wasn't such a great friend. But as Layla searches for Ziad, helped by Jacques's brother Joe, the threat of war suddenly gets much closer.

I loved Layla. I felt her frustration at her brother's absence when she arrived and her sadness as she realises how different she is now from the friends she grew up with. And her surprise at the changes that her country has experienced in the time she has been away. I loved reading her memories from when she was younger, particularly ones featuring Ziad who she clearly loves dearly. She is independent, resourceful and absolutely determined to find her brother. Oh, and she's falling in love.

A sweet, earnest young man, Joe offers to help Layla find Ziad, insists actually, and they tentatively start to get to know each other. Abu-Ezzi writes beautifully, perfectly illustrating the faltering beginnings of a relationship, the highs and lows:
'He looks beautiful standing there. Not the person she interpreted outside his flat yesterday, but someone more.'

But their fledgling romance, along with their search for Ziad, is threatened when bombs start falling on Beirut. The absolute terror that people must have felt is depicted well, and also the fear of not knowing. Not knowing if you'll survive the night, or what you'll find when you open your door or whether your relatives will survive. I am lucky never to have had those fears but this gave me an idea of how it might feel.

There are so many wonderful characters in this book. As well as Layla and Joe, I was particularly touched by Fadi, Layla's father. There's a scene towards the end with him and Layla that brought tears to my eyes. But really, all the characters are richly described.

The author's style of writing, her descriptions, the flow of her words all really spoke to me. Even the scenes about bombs and fear and crying are beautiful to read. Here's another short example of the writing, one of several I highlighted:
'She...feels like a fish out of water: taken away from her element, she knows she will carry on gasping until she finds herself swimming in music again.'

This is a book about family, love, loss, identity, fear, music and bombs. The ending was bittersweet for me. Actually, it hurt my heart a little, but I think it was the right choice. I thought this book was beautiful and I loved it.


The Author:

Nathalie Abi-Ezzi was born in Beirut, and has lived in Lebanon, Austria and the UK.

It was while working on her Ph.D in English Literature at King's College London that she realized that she wanted to write her own novels rather than just analyse other people's. So, while working variously as an editor, teacher and tutor, she wrote and published several prize-winning short stories and her first novel, A Girl Made of Dust (4th Estate, 2008), which was short-listed for the Desmond Elliot Prize and the Author's Club Best First Novel Award, and was the winner of the LiBeraturpreis in 2011.

She has, for better or worse, always been given to utterly pointless yet entirely joyful activities like playing music, drawing, painting, reading, and going on long walks. She has a particular interest in animal welfare, and has volunteered at shelters and rescue centres for many years. She always has a rescue dog by her side while writing, which is perhaps why animals invariably find their way into her work ...


Author Social Media Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EzziAbi
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathalieabiezzi/
Website: http://www.nathalieabiezzi.com/