The Map Of Salt & Stars

Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar Weidenfeld & Nicolson €20.99

A Syrian girl who has grown up in New York returns to her native country, to be driven into exile by the civil war. Her odyssey mirrors a similar journey in the 11th century by a mythical runaway girl. The interweaving of the two stories is skilfully done, and even if the prose is a bit stodgy, Joukhadar can be congratulated on her first novel.