"Anatomy of a Disappearance" by Hisham Matar

Nuri is a young boy on vacation with his father when he spots the beautiful Mona sitting by the pool. He is taken by her, enthralled and in love. It seems like Mona is able to fill the void that has been left by the sudden death of Nuri's mother a year earlier.


But when Mona and Nuri's father meet, Nuri's feelings are pushed to the side as they fall in love and quickly marry. Nuri is soon sent away from his family in Egypt to boarding school in England and he is consumed by the happiness of Mona and his father. He wishes there was some way to get his father out of the picture, after all he was the one who saw Mona first.


Then suddenly, Nuri's father disappears, kidnapped in the night. Nuri and Mona's world is torn apart as they begin to learn that they never really knew the man at all.


Anatomy of a Disappearance by Hisham Matar is an incredible novel that asks the question "when a loved one disappears, how does his or her absence shape the lives of those who are left?" The weight of this question makes one think that this book will be heavy reading but this is where the book truly excelled for me. The storyline flows effortlessly, it's light but still full of substance, something that in my opinion is difficult to achieve and the mark of an excellent story-teller.


This is a quick read, and you'll be captivated the whole way through. The story is told in the voice of Nuri, and it is a voice that you hear, not just words on the page. Things may not be tied up the way the reader hopes, but that won't leave you disappointed. If you're looking for a quick read that isn't fluff, then this book is an excellent choice.


Check out other stops on the blog tour:

http://jennifersstory.squarespace.com/ April 28

http://justalillost.wordpress.com/ May 2

http://www.fredasvoice.blogspot.com May 5

http://bibliomama2.blogspot.com/ May 12

http://inthenextroom.blogspot.com/ May 13

http://theliteraryword.blogspot.com/ May 16


Hisham Matar on Libya in The New Yorker

His Twitter account

A recent Toronto Star profile

Comments

  1. bookspersonallyMay 5, 2011 at 8:10 AM

    What a lovely review, and sounds like a great read!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Booklover Book ReviewsMay 6, 2011 at 11:17 PM

    Great review - you've inspired me to check this one out!

    ReplyDelete
  3. TerrieSeptember 25, 2011 at 1:39 PM

    I appreciate your reviews - they are short, don't rehash or retell the story and give an opinion about why you like or dislike it. Since I just started my book blog, your reviews are ones I want to use as a model. This is a book I'll be adding to my list....

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"The Guestbook" by Holly Martin

Image
Welcome to Willow Cottage - throw open the shutters, let in the sea breeze and make yourself completely at home.  Oh, and please do leave a comment in the Guestbook! Annie Butterworth is the landlady of Willow Cottage, a beautiful cottage in the English countryside with a colourful array of guests.  Every guest is encouraged to write their thoughts in the guestbook and do they ever!  Love, loss, happiness, sadness, guilt, affairs, births, and surprises, it’s all in there.  Even Annie’s life gets caught up in the book. As a young widow, Annie herself is going through some changes.  And the appearance of her brother-in-law, celebrity crime writer Oliver Black isn’t helping.  As the guests of Willow Cottage go about their seaside vacations, Annie and Oliver must figure out how to move on in their lives, and most importantly, if they will do so together. The Guestbook by Holly Martin is a lovely, sweet, and unique book.  Written in the format of notes left in the guestbook,
Read more

"Dreaming of Elsewhere: Observations on Home" by Esi Edugyan

Image
“But where are you from, really?” This is a question that Canadians of all walks of life are often asked.  Part of our identity as Canadians is that we all come from somewhere else, and no matter how long ago, it is a defining part of who we are.   But for many people, this question is about more than where their family came to Canada from.  For many, it brings about a question of home and belonging.  These are the ideas that Esi Edugyan explored in her 2013 Henry Kreisel Memorial Lecture, Dreaming of Elsewhere: Observations on Home .  Born in Canada to parents from Ghana, Esi Edugyan has travelled to and lived in various countries, all the while searching for her identity and coming to understand the meaning of home. As an author, Edugyan also reflects on Canadian literature and the notion of the “Canadian story.”  Her wildly successful novel, Half-Blood Blues , was set outside of Canada, and something she often heard was that it was not a typical Canadian novel.  But a
Read more

Literary Giveaway Blog Hop

Image
I am so excited to be participating in the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop, hosted by Judith at Leeswammes' Blog . There are over 50 participants hosting giveaways on their blog between October 15 and October 19. Be sure to hop around and check out all the awesome giveaways! My Giveaway Award season is underway in the Canadian literary world and to celebrate I would like to send someone some fabulous Canadian literature. One lucky winner will be able to choose which book they would like me to send them. Here are the choices (click on title to find out more about the book): A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews (bought at library sale) Life of Pi by Yann Martel The Last River Child by Lori Ann Bloomfield The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden (bought at library sale) Two of the books were bought at a library sale as mentioned. They are still in good condition but are obviously well-loved and do still have the library stickers on them. The other t
Read more