The Map of Salt and Stars

By: Zeyn Joukhadar

Narrated by: Lara Sawalha

This powerful and lyrical debut novel is to Syria what The Kite Runner was to Afghanistan; the story of two girls living eight hundred years apart—a modern-day Syrian refugee seeking safety and an adventurous mapmaker’s apprentice—“perfectly aligns with the cultural moment” (The Providence Journal) and “shows how interconnected two supposedly opposing worlds can be” (The New York Times Book Review).

This “beguiling” (Seattle Times) and stunning novel begins in the summer of 2011. Nour has just lost her father to cancer, and her mother moves Nour and her sisters from New York City back to Syria to be closer to their family. In order to keep her father’s spirit alive as she adjusts to her new home, Nour tells herself their favorite story—the tale of Rawiya, a twelfth-century girl who disguised herself as a boy in order to apprentice herself to a famous mapmaker.

But the Syria Nour’s parents knew is changing, and it isn’t long before the war reaches their quiet Homs neighborhood. When a shell destroys Nour’s house and almost takes her life, she and her family are forced to choose: stay and risk more violence or flee across seven countries of the Middle East and North Africa in search of safety—along the very route Rawiya and her mapmaker took eight hundred years before in their quest to chart the world. As Nour’s family decides to take the risk, their journey becomes more and more dangerous, until they face a choice that could mean the family will be separated forever.

Following alternating timelines and a pair of unforgettable heroines coming of age in perilous times, The Map of Salt and Stars is the “magical and heart-wrenching” (Christian Science Monitor) story of one girl telling herself the legend of another and learning that, if you listen to your own voice, some things can never be lost.

Eye-opening debut

Two beautifully intertwined stories and one of my favorite reads of the year. Parallel stories of two girls, 800 years apart, and their courageous journeys.

A different view on the world

A truly lovely book and I thoroughly enjoyed the poetic and lyrical descriptions the main character gives about everything. I cried, I laughed, and I cried some more. I can’t recommend this book enough as both a wake up call to be kind and to not judge to those who may different than you.

Beautifully Written

If you liked "Reading Lolita in Iran" or the "Kite Runner" then you will enjoy this more.

I love, love this story

This was one of the most enjoyable, interesting and moving books I have ever listened to. The narration was spot on. At first the jump between the two time periods was confusing. Once I became more familiar with the characters' names (which happened surprisingly quickly) this was not an issue. I love learning about other cultures and hearing their stories. Highly recommended.

Delightful, compelling, imaginative narration

This double-layered story is filled with fresh metaphors and insights into the plight of refugees and adventurers.