Thought-provoking and difficult to read
This was a difficult book to read - not only because of the subject matter but also because of the way it was written. I found it difficult to follow and unnatural in its prose but this could have been as a result of the process of translation rather than the way the author intended.
The story follows Hamuda, a bookseller from Morocco, after he is "arrested" and interred in an unknown place in horrific conditions. There he is held without trial whilst experiencing unspeakable and unthinkable acts of violence both physical and psychological.
Whilst this is a work of fiction, it does make you wonder and question how much is actually close to the truth of what really happens with "prisoners" who go through the practice of rendition and how far Governments will go to garner information. How those "prisoners" survive, even if they undergo only half of what Hamuda did, is beyond me.
As I said, a difficult book to read but one which is thought-provoking with a lot of talking points.
Thank you to the publisher, Syracuse University Press, for providing me with a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
