The Arsonists's City

I closed the book and wanted to rest overnight with my thoughts before reviewing.  At a point when I was struggling with its pacing, there came an ominous line in the novel, “Time doesn’t change; time reveals.”   It encouraged patience; to wait for the revelations -- I took the advice literally and in doing so, I am satisfied with the outcome.   

 At its core, a couple from Lebanon grapples with the promise of a new beginning in California amid subtle microaggressions, culture shock, and the ongoing stress of navigating in ‘white’ spaces.  Their children are not spared and meet their own assimilation challenges.   Thus, in that regard, The Arsonists’ City contains threads of familiarity for those who have read any recent “coming to America” exposes.  It is a character-driven novel with chapters focusing on each family member’s point of view, their secrets, hopes, dreams, loves, losses, and insecurities, and how that shapes their interaction with each other.  

The author really gave us fully developed, yet creatively flawed characters situated within a highly complex family dynamic headed by a manipulative and self-absorbed matriarch.   Their familial ties are further strained with their father’s decision to sell the ancestral home - an act that requires the entire family to reluctantly return to Beirut with the intent to change his mind.  It is here the past meets the future -- marital bonds are tested, repressed feelings are exposed, and unpleasant truths come to light.  

While I enjoyed my time with the Nasr clan, I really enjoyed the history, cultural, and political aspects of the region.  I thought some parts were a bit overwritten (especially the segments with Mazna, the mother).  Recommended to those who love rich family sagas.  This was my first read with this author and will definitely move her debut novel up on my TBR list.