05 May / Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi [in Booklist]
*STARRED REVIEW
Veteran narrator Mozhan Marnò has one of those gratifyingly recognizable, sigh-inducing audiobook voices that immediately immerses readers. Here, for 12 hours, she commands Afghan American pediatrician-turned-novelist Nadia Hashimi’s (A House without Windows, 2018) latest, ciphering the multi-pronged epic over decades and across continents, cultures, and languages, all while effortlessly embodying a vast cast.
In 1978 Kabul, 10-year-old Sitara’s privileged life as the daughter of the Afghan president’s closest colleague ends suddenly with the slaughter of her entire family and of so many others. A once-trusted guard who may or may not be a murderer whisks her out of the palace, only to keep her a virtual prisoner in his own home, a death-defying risk to everyone involved. His improbable rescue sets into motion Sitara’s eventual rebirth as Aryana Shepherd, the adopted daughter of a U.S. diplomat.
Thirty years later, in 2008 NYC, she’s an oncologist whose carefully balanced existence is shattered when Shair – the palace guard – walks into her examination room. Before he succumbs to his fatal disease, Aryana is determined to unearth the answers about her family’s fate.
Hashimi’s narrative is telenovela-good – daring adventurers, deadly secrets, family drama, the beloved dead, a politician-in-the-making, true love, and more – but Marnò’s elevating enhancements transform the words into a deeply satisfying, resonating performance.
Review: “Media,” Booklist, May 1, 2021
Readers: Adult
Published: 2021