The Locust and the Bird by Hanan al-Shaykh, Part 1

Caitlin and Darla discuss the first half (to p. 151) of The Locust and the Bird by Hanan al-Shaykh.

In the book, Hanan re-creates the dramatic life and times of her mother, Kamila. Married at a young age against her will, Kamila soon fell head-over-heels in love with another man—and was thus forced to choose between her children and her lover. As the narrative unfolds through the years—from the bazaars, cinemas and apartments of 1930s Beirut to its war-torn streets decades later—we follow this passionate woman as she survives the tragedies and celebrates the triumphs of a life lived to the very fullest.

Caitlin doesn't typically read memoir or non-fiction, whereas Darla is an avid reader of these genres, and also in the midst of writing a memoir herself. So Darla challenges Caitlin on some of her critiques of the book and helps her see the art of memoir in a new way. They discuss the challenges of writing a book for someone else, let alone for your mother who left you as a young child; about the lens we all see the world through; and Kamila's wonderful sense of humor.

We hear from more readers of this book at the end - thank you Ola and Paulina for sharing your thoughts with us!

Music by Lesfm via Pixabay.

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