BOOKS FROM KUWAITThe Bamboo Stalk
Description:
Winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction Josephine escapes poverty by coming to Kuwait from the Philippines to work as a maid, where she meets Rashid, an idealistic only son with literary aspirations. Josephine, with all the wide-eyed naivety of youth, believes she has found true love. But when she becomes pregnant, and with the rumble of war growing ever louder, Rashid bows to family and social pressure, and sends her back home with her baby son, José. Brought up struggling with his dual identity, José clings to the hope of returning to his father's country when he is eighteen. He is ill-prepared to plunge headfirst into a world where the fear of tyrants and dictators is nothing compared to the fear of 'what will people say'. And with a Filipino face, a Kuwaiti passport, an Arab surname and a Christian first name, will his father's country welcome him? The Bamboo Stalk takes an unflinching look at the lives of foreign workers in Arab countries and confronts the universal problems of identity, race and religion.
Reviews:
(6 months ago) |
23 Mar, 2025
Good and entertaining, but far from unique. The story is a typical story about someone trying to find where they belong in life and society. Some aspects seemed a bit forced such as the main characters, ignorance regarding some world issues, social and cultural, norms, etc. It seems like the main character’s lack of knowledge is written precisely so the author can explain something to the reader. I also was not pleased with the ending, it was rather unsatisfying. There are too many loose ends, and a new element is introduced, but not explained. Overall, I am glad I read it however, I probably won’t remember it in about a month.
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