Sharafeddine,
Fatima. The
Servant. Douglas McIntyre/Groundwood 2013 157p ISBN 978-1-55498-307-0 hs/adult Hardback VG Multicultural
The Servant, written and translated by the author from its first publication in
Arabic in 2010, offers an interesting coming-of-age tale of hardship and
romance set against the dramatic backdrop of the Lebanese Civil war. Readers who are able to set aside the stilted prose and third-person narrative will
discover a strong protagonist in fifteen-year-old Faten, torn from her school,
home, family and friends to become a maid for a wealthy Beirut family.
Faten proves resilient and resourceful. She continues to study in secret, dreaming of a better future, despite the fact that all of her wages are sent back to her father to support her family, and despite her love interest Marwan’s inability to stand up to his parents to pursue their relationship and his own dreams.
Sharradine does a fine job of depicting another culture through Faten’s eyes. History comes to life as Faten pursues her goal to become a nurse against all odds during the war-torn 1980s. Despite its dark beginning, the novel ends on a happy note.
Faten proves resilient and resourceful. She continues to study in secret, dreaming of a better future, despite the fact that all of her wages are sent back to her father to support her family, and despite her love interest Marwan’s inability to stand up to his parents to pursue their relationship and his own dreams.
Sharradine does a fine job of depicting another culture through Faten’s eyes. History comes to life as Faten pursues her goal to become a nurse against all odds during the war-torn 1980s. Despite its dark beginning, the novel ends on a happy note.
Summary: Faten’s life as a servant in Beirut deprives her of friends, family,
education, and freedom. When she falls
in love with Marwan, has Faten found a means of escape?
Beirut-Fiction,
Lebanese Civil War-Fiction --Hilary
Welliver
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