| Book Review | Salt Houses.
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"Nostalgia is an affliction. Life a fever or a cancer, the longing for what had vanished wasting a person away. Not just the unbearable losses, but the small things as well." - Hala Alyan.
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Part of the reason why I found this novel fascinating was because the author decided to focus on a family that could afford to move when the war commenced. Another brilliant aspect of the book was the title itself. Salt Houses means 'Houses that will be lost', and this carried a lot of significance throughout the story. I learnt more about the Six Day War, the way in which it displaced hundreds of families and how they were left with a sense of solitariness for years to come. The story begins in Nablus, when Salma reads her daughter's future in the remains of coffee dregs. What she sees then sets their story in motion.
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With the onset of the Six Day War, Salma's family goes through a terrible tragedy and while she moves to Amman, Alia and her husband move to Kuwait. While Alia never feels at home in Kuwait, she finds peace in her yearly visits to Amman with her three children. As her children grow up, each different from the other, they are soon forced to leave Kuwait because of Saddam's invasion. It's important to notice that the family didn't face any financial problems while having to move but it did manage to leave them emotionally exhausted. The feeling of having to abandon one's home and never having the chance to return to is a terrible thing to go through. What begun with Salma, was later passed on to her daughter and then to her great-grandchildren. This is the story of millions of people trying to find a solid ground beneath their feet. Of finding a forever home.
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The chapters are split between many characters spreading over many years, starting from Salma and slowly covering the perspectives of the ones from the next generation. Apart from covering the Six Day War, the author also managed to sneak in the 9/11 incident and other racial discriminations that displaced people still go through. There's a sense of honesty that lurks in this book, keeping the characters real, beautiful and even ugly.
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My favourite character of all has to be Atef. The gentlest man who wallows in guilt and grief for years to come. The one who binds the Yacoub family together, focusing on the good side of people. It's clear that this family could afford to move constantly, severing ties with many cities and moving to Kuwait, Amman, Beirut and even Boston. The children grow up to be well equipped to survive in different ways, but always managed to come together to look after their loved ones. It often left me with a warm feeling, something that comes with lovely references to families. This novel was refreshing and at times, utterly heartbreaking. After being on the shelf for more than a year, I am finally glad to have read this insightful book. Salma's family might be just one amongst many others but it's nevertheless, a very heart-breaking take on the families that are constantly under the move. I highly recommend it.
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Rating - 4.5/5