(Note: There is profanity and adult content in this book.)

Gorgeous prose recounting harrowing events and every nuance of emotion. A wonderful resource for those trying to understand Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

This was lyrical and also heartrending.

I really enjoyed the narration of this book. I loved how the whole book was Jonathan/Yonatan telling all these stories to Laith. I think it made it feel more powerful when everything coalesced in the end. Because a lot of this Laith was there to experience, but may not have understood the significance or emotions Jonathan was feeling in these moments.

I will say that the ending was very sad, but only because it was so ambiguous. I am not sure I totally understand what the author wanted me to "get" with the closing lines.

Spoiler

If it is that Jonathan died, then I guess that is a kind of closure. But that isn't totally clear or explicit. And if he doesn't die - does he get out? Is he discharged from the military? Does he talk to Laith and Nimreen? So many questions!

Wow. Wow. Wow.

Beautiful language, beautiful story line, beautiful, complex characters. It's a political book, of course it is, but not in the way that you're hit over the head with the politics of it all. It's beautifully written to capture the messiness and confusion of living as part of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

There's a fair number of reviews here complaining about the amount of Hebrew and Arabic in the text, and I want to point out that those lines (in addition to the Ladino/Judeo-Spanish) are always translated into English, so it's not like you need to know those languages to understand the book. Don't let that scare you off if you don't know those languages- you don't need to.

4 lyrically dark stars to Sadness Is a White Bird! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Jonathan is 19 years old and preparing to serve in the Israeli army when he befriends Palestinian twins, Laith and Nimreen. As the story begins, Jonathan is in jail, and his story is told through letters to Laith. The second person narrative was refreshing.

Through Jonathan’s friendship with Laith and Nimreen, he begins a journey of self-discovery and coming-of-age where his emotions give rise to conflict within him about serving in the army.

This book was short and full of meaning. The message on conflict resonated with me because, generally speaking, sometimes we think we are on the right side of the conflict, but there’s always another side and many more voices to be heard. Some of the imagery at the end gave me chills.

Interestingly, in the audio, the passages in different languages were not included, so I did not experience that possible disconnection from the story that I’ve read about in reviews. The narrator added to the story. His voice was eerie and foreboding.

Sadness is a White Bird is a novel of friendship and full-bodied emotion. The author’s language is lyrical without being over-done. The emotions of the characters are transparent.

Thanks to many, many of my GR friends for the recommendation to read this thought-provoking book. This was a Traveling Sister Read, and for the combined Sister Review, please visit Brenda and Norma’s blog: https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com

I really enjoyed this book-beautiful writing that humanizes he internal and external conflict of Jews and Arabs in Israel and Palestine.