Review: Refuge

Refuge by Dina Nayeri

Riverhead Books; 2017. Hardcover, 336 pages.

In this novel, Niloo is an Iranian girl who escaped with her mother to America as a child while her father remains behind.  This novel follows the experiences of both father and daughter as their lives take different paths and examines the relationship between the pair, both good and bad.

In addition to the story of Niloo and her father, there is also the story of the refugees of all nations flooding into Europe, where Niloo lives as an adult.  She sees both similarities and diversions from her own past.

This novel was predominately set in the recent past, so it is not the usual type of book I read.  It spans multiple decades, with parts told as stories/flashbacks throughout the novel.  The writing was overly descriptive, something I did not care for.  And the story as a whole did not interest me to the extent I thought it would when I first read the summary.  I just felt like I did not connect to the characters either, especially the father. All this said, just because this novel was not my cup of tea (I did not finish it), it may suit another reader differently.

Have you given this novel  a try?  If so, what were your thoughts?  If you have not, do you plan to?

This review is based on an advanced reader edition provided by the publisher.

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