Hello Readers!
How’ve you been doing? Good I hope. I took this week off and it’s been great to be able to focus on my writing and reading for grad school. I’ve decided to take an extended leave of absence with work so that I can focus more on my studies and mental health. It’s just something I had to do for myself.
Alright, back to the book review at hand!
Today I’m reviewing The Cat I Never Named by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess.
The cat in the title and cover definitely made this a read I had to try out. It seemed that the cat played a big role in this story, and as a cat dad I just had to see what this was all about.
On to the book review!
Blurb
The stunning memoir of a Muslim teen struggling to survive the Bosnian genocide–and the stray cat who protected her family through it all.
Amra was a teen in Bihac, Bosnia, when her friend said they couldn’t speak anymore because Amra was Muslim. Then refugees from other cities started arriving, fleeing Serbian persecution. When Serbian tanks rolled into Bihac, the life she knew disappeared—right as a stray cat followed her home. Her family didn’t have the money to keep a pet, but after the cat seemed to save her brother, how could they turn it away? Saving a life one time could be a coincidence, but then it happened again—and Amra and her family wondered just what this cat was.
This is the story of a teen who, even in the brutality of war, never wavered in her determination to obtain education, maintain friendships, and even find a first love—and the cat that provided comfort, and maybe even served as a guardian spirit, in the darkest of times.
GoodReads
Amazon
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The Review
Amra loves life in Bihac, Bosnia. She and her family live peacefully until the Bosnian war comes to their doorstep and uproots everything. Faced with unimaginable suffering and hardships, Amra and her family struggle to survive this unfortunate time. But when a stray cat Maci shows up, she becomes a permanent family member who brings them closer together with love and a little bit of luck.
I adored this absolute treasure of a novel.
I felt so many emotions following Amra’s terrifying inspirational life story.
What first drew me in was the cover and the emphasis on the cat Maci. I’m a lover of felines and a cat dad, and Maci takes a central role in Amra’s struggles. This loving kitty helps bring Amra’s family closer together and looks after them, saving them from a number of dangerous situations. She also becomes a local celebrity in the community, and I just wish I could have pulled her from the pages and given her some cuddles and kitty kisses.
Amra is a wonderful storyteller, and from the heartfelt and sometimes excruciating remembrances of her time in the Bosnian War, it’s clear just how damaging war can be to civilians who don’t play an active role. Amra herself is a young and intelligent girl, and it was sad to see just how many obstacles she had to overcome to become the person she is today. I’m so grateful she persevered.
I also loved her family members. Her mom, father, and brother Dino all play important roles as they depend on each other through thick and thin, and their characters had plenty of depth that made them feel three-dimensional.
The writing was straight and to the point without an abundance of purple prose. I felt this story needed that in order to really communicate just how impossible of a situation the Bosnian War was. This novel gave all the feels. From chapter to chapter it’ll make you laugh, cry, and shout as Amra and her family triumph against all odds, and I can’t wait to buy a physical copy for my bookshelves at home.
Ultimately I have no complaints. This was a stellar memoir about war and how love and family can beat the odds, no matter how insurmountable they may seem.
That’s A Wrap!
Well that’s it for this book review. I hope you enjoyed it!
Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!
Have a great day!
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