Crescent

Rating:
Summary: fulfilling
Review: Rarely have I been so captivated by a novel. "Crescent" is so delicious, compelling, poetic, wise, thrilling, charming and sweet, it cannot be forgotten. Enlightneing in its world view, Crescent is transport to cultures we want to understand but don't. Beyond that, it is romance, family, adventure, politics and fable. It is energizing.

Rating:
Summary: fulfilling
Review: Rarely have I been so captivated by a novel. "Crescent" is so delicious, compelling, poetic, wise, thrilling, charming and sweet, it cannot be forgotten. Enlightneing in its world view, Crescent is transport to cultures we want to understand but don't. Beyond that, it is romance, family, adventure, politics and fable. It is energizing.

Rating:
Summary: "Crescent"
Review: The novel, Cresent by Diana Abu-Jaber, is a romantic tale, which captivates the reader in a creative light. The main character, " Sirine is a thirty-nine-year-old, who works as a chef at Um-Nadia's Lebanese restaurant. Here her passions for cooking are developed as a sort of replacement for love. Sirine struggles with issues of her Arab-American identity, as well as the dearth of her parents. Raised by her Iraqui-Immigrant uncle, she is shown much love but she has difficulty expressing this. This is why food plays a major role because of its consistency and comfort that it provides-- and a little help from her furry friend, her dog, "King Babar."

Her life goes through a "magical carpet ride" as her "Arabian" prince comes to her attention. Here Sirine cosses paths with an Arabic literature professor, "Han." Han immediately takes an interest in Sirine. The two begin dating and its true love so to speak. The two learn about themselves through eachother, as they blossom into stronger individuals, and the relationship flourishes as well.

The novel shifts from time to time, from the story of Sirine and her life as an Arab-American, to a magical fairy-tale told by Sirine's uncle, which bears alot of similarity to Sirines life. The story intertwines with her life, as if it were almost parallel to her own tale! The story is of an "Aunt Camille" who gave birth to "Abdelrahman Salahadin," who sold himself to slavers and escaped by faking his drowning in the Red Sea. Aunt Camille tracks him down by seducing the terrible Sir Richard Burton, walked to the source of the White Nile, confirred with the Mother of All Fish, and struck deals with Jinnns and Mermaids as well as Blue-Skinned Bedouin Tribes! After all of this he ends up in Hollywood as an actor! This may seem ludacrist but this fairy-tale is a reflection of Sirine's life with a creative twist!

Throughout this story it gives reference to the Arab culture, in a sort of cultural exchange. The author gives a possible opinnionated viewpoint on Arab men as well, which is somewhat romantized in this novel. I love how ths book captivated my senses with its colorful impression of life. It tells how to cook, how to eat, and how to love! This is one close-knitt comunity, friends as well as family, who each play their own special part in making this a magnificant, magical novel!

Um-Nadia plays a role of mother to Sirine. The others that work or come into the cafe are seen as family as well. There seems to be a bond within the Arab culture, unlike the Americans, that cannnot be broken. By this I mean that they are very close with one another-- caring and sharing with eachother. They have a certain acceptance, which is a very admirable quality. For this reason alone, I suggest this book for reading to experience the love within their daily lives!

The "Cresent" has a specific meaning in this story which Abu-Jaber is trying to portray. The "Cresent" is a Arab symbol for the faith of Islam. With this idea in mind comes committment which is shown in the relations at home, at work, and most definately with Sirine and Han. This passionate tale unfolds it multi-dimentional layers, exposing its soul for all to see. I encourage you to read this to understand the spirit of Cresent which is alive in this novel, in Um-Nadia's cafe, and in their community. It would be to your advantage to hop on the "magic carpet," and take this book for a ride, as I'm sure it will enchant you as much as it did me!

Rating:
Summary: Sensuous and Lush
Review: This is a must-read for anyone who revels in sensual descriptions: the smell of the garlic and onion frekeh sauteeing, the wild curls of bougainvillea climbing the walls behind Sirine's kitchen, the sounds of drizzling rain running down her bedroom window. Abu-Jaber weaves together a spellbinding story about love, loss and heartache, using detailed descriptions to transport the reader. I highly recommend "Crescent."

Rating:
Summary: A rich dessert
Review: Wonderful. I love this book. Reading Crescent was like eating a rich dessert, I had to take it in little bites. You'll love it!