Bookish Thoughts: When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi

Though I love to see my children resting soundly, in the quiet of their slumber my uneasy mind retraces our journey.  ~ Opening of When the Moon Is Low

When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi

William Morrow, 2015

Fiction; 384 pgs

As a child, Fereiba is treated like a servant by her stepmother. Her father caters to his wife and seems more absent than he is present. Fereiba longs to be loved and to go to school like her younger half-siblings. She is curious and hungry to learn. In the early part of the novel the reader sees a young Fereiba experience love, loss, and disappointment--life experiences that help mold her into the woman she will become.

As the Taliban regime takes over her beloved country of Afghanistan, life as Fereiba knew it changes completely. Violence and oppression become away of life. Her family lives in fear, hoping for a better future. They dream of fleeing the country like many of their other family members have already done. It isn't until Fereiba's husband, an engineer, is taken and killed by the Taliban, that Fereiba puts their plan into action. She knows that for her three children, one of which is a newborn, to have any sort of future, leaving the country is the only chance they have.

Nadia Hashimi's novel, When the Moon is Low, puts human faces on the some of the hardships endured by refugees. Fereiba and her children are desperate, lost and frightened. Fereiba is a mother who wants only to protect her children and keep them safe. The bonds of the family are tested. All they really have is each other.

The novel is told from the perspective of both Fereiba and her son Saleem, in alternating chapters. Both provide very compelling voices to the family's story. Fereiba is such a strong and resilient woman. She had to be for her children's sake. I related to Fereiba as a mother, and my heart went out to her and her children. Saleem is such a tough boy--tough in the sense of strong. He has to be, given all he goes through. He is your typical pre-teen to teenage boy, going through the typical developmental changes. He likes playing soccer and hanging out with other kids his age. And yet, his circumstances are far from ordinary. He takes on a great deal of responsibility and is ever loyal to his family. Hashimi is able to capture the boy and the man so thoroughly in his character, two sides of one coin.

Not much time is spent on Fereiba's daughter, but it is obvious she has had to take on new responsibilities too, growing up way too fast. She helps her mom in caring for her younger brother who is in desperate need of medical attention.

I fell in love with this novel from the start. The writing is beautiful. The characters feel so real. The story is such a sad one, intense, and heartbreaking, and yet there is also hope. Hope that they will reach their family in England. Hope that they will find a better life elsewhere. There was breath-holding and tears--both happy and sad.

I liked that Hashimi did not gloss over the refugee experience. Even while telling Fereiba and her children's stories, she also told the story of many others--how some had a more difficult time of it and others had it a bit easier. She paints a very realistic picture of the hardships and conditions refugees face--from the backlash, the lack of resources and support, including medical care, the cruelty of the system and certain individuals, as well as the helpfulness and kindness of some. I could not help but to feel emotionally involved in the story and come away wanting to help be a force of change, even if in a small way. Yet another reason I loved this book.

To learn more about Nadia Hashimi and her work, please visit the author's website. She can also be found on Goodreads, Facebook and Twiter.

I hope you will check out what others had to say about When the Moon is Low on the TLC Book Tours route!

Many thanks to the TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this book tour. A copy of the book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

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