Something about the cover made me pick up this book. You see the man swimming in the water but the shadow is of an airplane. At first I didn't notice the plane but the book slowly incorporates the two - water and the attacks of September 11th - to shadow the story of Jassim and his wife Salwa. S... more

Something about the cover made me pick up this book. You see the man swimming in the water but the shadow is of an airplane. At first I didn't notice the plane but the book slowly incorporates the two - water and the attacks of September 11th - to shadow the story of Jassim and his wife Salwa. Salwa and Jassim suffer in many ways after the events that unfold in their lives. Salwa suffers after a miscarriage Jassim is involved in a deadly car accident and both turn inside themselves instead of to one another causing their relationship and marriage to weaken. There are parts of the story that seem unnecessary like Salwa's ex-boyfriend's point of view thrown in here and there but overall it is interesting to see the way Haliby chose to portray these individuals and the way they handle their own personal tragedies. What is most interesting in the psychology of the characters is the way that the situations they experience are truly unique in that not even their partner can understand what they could possibly be going through. It made me think twice about perspective and trying to sympathize when others experience any sort of loss or go through a life-altering event. Haliby does a wonderful job stepping inside both the male and female mind with this couple as they struggle to understand themselves and how to deal with their own guilt and grief after the decisions they make. The ending fails to deliver any resolution - no happy ending or confessions that you expect. Not my first recommendation but certainly a good book that covers a wide range of topics from culture and stereotypes to the complexities of marriage (or any relationship).