Skip to main content

Friday Review: Zeitoun

Hello Poetteers,


A while back I was at goodwill and got some books. One was ZEITOUN. And I finished it earlier this week. Here's my thoughts:

This book has annotations. Mostly in the beginning, then stopped. It's a humbling feeling seeing Quran verses in this book. Seeing someone love the words of the Quran.

There is lots of annotations about dismissing instinct vs wanting to give into it.

This person knows what to highlight. I like the quote, "if a sailor finds the right port or right woman he'll drop anchor."

I loved reading the story of how Zeitoun and Kathy met. "She had a wide, shy, electric smile. He wanted that. He wanted to make her smile like that. He wanted to be the reason."

I really loved reading her friend's and Kathy's convert stories. It will make you fall in love with Islam. It did for me even though I am a Muslim. It's all in how the message is given. Seeing it made me smile and tear up.

I love what he did with the fishes. His tent adventure. What he did with his canoe. Helping people and dogs. I love the constant reminder of the Quran and prayer. I love the metaphor he made about God. I love how he found the horses, relating to his talk. It's more than sad that he disappeared. I loved reading their story of traveling to Syria. To Spain. And their inside jokes to motivate her.

Then I stopped mentioning everything I loved and focused on reading. It's a bit scary to with what happens. That's why I can't believe this is non-fiction.

Based of this book, here's where I want to travel:

Syria, of course! Spain, Italy, Greece, North Africa, Lebanon and Palestine

Food:

Homemade bread, McD's, or any Mediterranean/Arab dish

Playlist:

Waiting On The World To Change and Say, both by John Mayer - first song I heard as I started the book.

Payphone by Maroon 5 - Kathy and Zeitoun's conversations.

Lighthouse Tale by Nickel Creek - as Kathy told the church on her thoughts on accepting Islam.

MUSLIM by Native Deen - as I finished the scenes of Kathy's convert story.

• Dream On by Yusuf Islam - Zeitoun's thoughts on his childhood.

I Love You So by Maher Zain - during Zeitoun's disappearance.

Stand Alone by Native Deen - for his staying behind and help. His suffering through prison.

Won't Go Home Without You by Maroon 5

Have you read Zeitoun? What did you think of it? If you have or haven't read it what food, country and song triggered in your mind by the word Zeitoun? Let me know in the comments below.

If you're still reading, comment below that you're awesome!


I'm restarting the HER OLIVES blog tour for the following week. You can go ahead to do any promo or answer any of the prompts:

Bouns | Day 5 | Day 4 | Day 3 | Day 2 | Day 1

Just link it up.






Love and thank you, Fida

Comments

Crystal Collier said…
I was just following along until you said "non fiction." Yikes! Now you've totally got my interest with this one. Is that crazy? I'm not the type to go for non fiction.
Anonymous said…
This looks like a great book and I've heard of this author before. It sounds like fiction, but it's thrilling that this really happened.
Haneen Ibrahim said…
I kind of got that its a non fiction book early on, the cover alone makes it obvious, but the "he disappeared" part was what gave me a shock. Seems like a really good book and I loved how you were so passionate about it in your review, probably your strongest review (at least in my humble opinion).

Popular posts from this blog

My Writer's Voice Entry

Hello readers, Through the luck of the Rafflecopter draw, I got picked to enter the Writer’s Voice, a multi-blog, multi-agent contest hosted by Cupid of Cupid’s Literary Connection , Krista Van Dolzer of Mother. Write. (Repeat.) , Monica B.W. of Love YA , and Brenda Drake of Brenda Drake Writes . (You can read all about it here .) As part of the contest, here are my query + 250! My Query: DECIDING HIJAB is a 15,100 worded multicultural, girly YA. 15 year old Yasmeen recently started wearing the headscarf. Along with covering up comes problems. She faces an atheist teacher giving mis-information and getting unwanted attention from a boy. Some good comes out of this, Yasmeen meets a faithful Christian girl named Jenna and she has a load of questions for her interest in their religion, Islam. They faces many problems, yet that doesn't stop them from being who they are and want to be. I'm a muslim college student and poet. I have been published in two small Muslim girl...

Book Tour: Timeless by Crystal Collier

Hello Poetteers,  Let's welcome Crystal Collier here today to share her brand new book! Title:  TIMELESS Series:  Maiden of Time, #3 Author:  Crystal Collier Pages:  253 Publication:  November 1, 2016 Publisher:  Raybourne Publishing ISBN:   9781629830056 TIME IS THE ENEMY. In 1771, Alexia had everything: the man of her dreams, reconciliation with her father, even a child on the way. But she was never meant to stay. It broke her heart, but Alexia heeded destiny and traveled five hundred years back to stop the Soulless from  becoming. In the thirteenth century, the Holy Roman Church has ordered the Knights Templar to exterminate the Passionate, her bloodline. As Alexia fights this new threat—along with an unfathomable evil and her own heart—the Soulless genesis nears. But none of her hard-won battles may matter if she dies in childbirth before completing her mission. Can Alexia escape her own cloc...

What's up Wednesday, IWSG & Cover Reveal

Hello readers!! It is IWSG day and I may or may not have something, yet I planned today to be a special day. Onto What's up Wednesday! What I've been reading? I finished UVC! I'm in the middle of reading the LOVE, TINK series. What I've been writing? My new WIP! This goes with both questions, I'm reading the Smashwords style guide for the upcoming publication of my poetry collection!! What Else I've Been Up To? It's the day you've been waiting for (more than the date reveal)!! The cover reveal... P.S. Be sure to check out Saba's blog today because she's helping with the reveal and so is Sania Heba (: Love,