Balsam Karam

It’s possible that if I’d been in a more open and receptive frame of mind I’d have persisted with this novel, which focuses on two mothers: one who searches for her 17-year-old undocumented daughter in a touristy city—with a beach and a repeatedly mentioned corniche—that has seen better days; the other, an expectant mother who’s discovered she’s carrying a child who’s no longer alive. Maybe it would’ve gained momentum had I hung on, but this melancholic, vague (unnamed country, unnamed characters), and floaty novel just did not engage me. It felt like a dreamlike mood piece, not particularly grounded in reality, and more concerned with making statements about motherhood, migration, and politics than fleshing out characters and building a plot. I quickly grew impatient with its pace and decided to leave it incomplete. I’m doubtful I’ll pick it up again or anything else by Karam for that matter.… (more)