A Girl Made of Dust

BOOK: A Girl Made Of Dust
AUTHOR: Nathalie Abi-Ezzi

GRADE: B+

Set in a Christian village in Lebanon during the 1982 Israeli invasion, Abi-Ezzi’s debut novel details the ravaging effects of war as told through the brutally honest eyes of eight-year-old Ruba. Struggling to make sense of a world in which her father has all but gone mute and her beloved older brother joins up with a militia of young men; Ruba discovers a curse placed over her family years prior. Believing this curse is responsible for the ills that befall her family, she sets out to find and break the curse. Her journey forces her to understand things that no eight year old should be forced to comprehend. In the end, she learns that she cannot put together the pieces of other people lives and must let them heal their own wounds.

The loyalty to family and the spunkiness of Ruba is indeed something to behold. “A Girl Made of Dust” is the story of one girl and her family confronting the demons of their past in order to create a new future. Abi-Ezzi manages to create a moving story without falling prey to clichés or to the desire to wrap it all up in a happily-ever-after ending. The result of which is a story that leaves you lost in thought and deeply grateful for the peace this country is currently experiencing. I recommend this highly to all.