Book 3

This was a book I found while cleaning out a shelf at my parent’s house over the holidays. My mom worked for a publishing company for her entire career, so you can find a number of books her company published stacked around the house. This happened to be one of them.

Salt Houses beings in 1963 in Nablus, a city in the West Bank just north of Jerusalem. The story follows the Yacoub family’s journey and experiences over the next 50 years, with each chapter being told by a different member of the family.

The story covers many historical events, like the Six-Day War of 1967 and Sadam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, and takes us on a journey across many parts of the middle east. The Yacoub family struggles with things many of us can relate to – family, marriage, parenting, religion – but they also face a number of challenges that I found less familiar.

I would consider my knowledge of the Israeli and Palentstinean conflict to be very minimal, and while I still don’t think I have a complete understanding of it, Hala Alyan does an excellent job of describing the unique struggle and pain of not being able to return home. At no point did I feel I was being led to believe there was a right or wrong side of this conflict, but I simply began to understand the effect it had and continues to have on those who lost the place they call home.

While I wouldn’t say there was a huge focus on the specifics of religion, there are certainly many references to the Islamic faith and the different roles it plays in each of the character’s lives. I was surprised to learn so much about the the sort of spectrum of faith that exists within the Islamic religion, much like I believe exists in Christianity. It was particularly interesting to me to hear more about the relationship between religion and politics, especially in the lives of young men living in this part of the world during this time period.

Though this isn’t a part of the world or time period I read much about, I found that Alyan told a story that was relatable while also being incredibly enlightening. She does an incredible job painting a picture of a place I have never been, while also developing characters who I easily connected with. I recently learned she has another book coming out this year, The Arsonist’s City, that I’m already looking forward to reading.

I’ve already recommended this one to a lot people, but if you’re someone who enjoys historical fiction and is looking to learn more about Palestine and the Islamic faith, add Salt Houses to your reading list. It certainly encouraged me to add some more diverse titles to my list this year.