Fathers, Sons, and the Land in Between: Uncovering the Story of Family and Home in Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novel 'The Return'

Chris G: The personal story is heartbreaking, wise, kind and very beautiful.

United States on Aug 17, 2023

MB Hanrahan: This excellent book made me sad, reading about the atrocities that occurred during the Quaddafi regime in Libya. I learned so much in the course of a story that has no end, but a resolve, and, I believe some acceptance and peace, at the end.

United States on Aug 07, 2023

Flavie F.: I think I enjoyed this book but I don't remember to develop more, sorry!

France on Aug 01, 2023

Safoura Rafeizadeh: An excellent pro, capturing deep emotions as well as conscious logic in tragic conditions imposed by power hungry politicians. People continue to endure these atrocities and anyone who knows this should read this book for the sense of solidarity. Others must read it to grow up and to know what to avoid, if humanly possible!!

United States on Jun 10, 2023

CASSINI24: A lyrical account of the enforced disappearance of a politcal oppenent during Qaddafi's rule and the traumatic impact it had on his son, Hisham Matar. The thawing relations between the UK and Libya during the Blair years gave the author new momentum and hope in uncovering what happened to his father - sadly, however, Qaddafi's son, Seif, manipulates and tricks him, and he finds himself further than ever from finding out the truth. The overthrow of the regime likewise offers new opportunities for discovering his father's fate, but the author encounters new, and even more daunting challenges. This is an introspective and poetic narrative, and Matar conveys with great insight what it feels like to have a father who cannot definitively be described as being dead or alive, and the trauma this has inflicted on him over the years. In some parts it is perhaps overly literary, but this book is unique in describing the personal impact of the horrors that the Qaddafi regime inflicted on the Libyan people, the legacy of which is still being felt today.

United Kingdom on Jun 04, 2023

JE Grossman: The story was interesting in the fact he’s writing about his family and experiences. However , I lost interest about 1/3 of the way through. Couldn’t finish it.

United States on Apr 13, 2023

second-hand-songbird: I had to study this for a university writing course, so I was perhaps biased against it from the start. But, in truth, I was pleasantly surprised at this tackling of a deeply personal, deeply haunting tale of one man's search for his father, for the truth. It's painful, full of pathos, regret and longing - but it's so brilliantly told, and follows along like a genuinely engaging novel. It's not perfect; there were passages I had trouble with, and times where I felt too much of the same ground was trod upon, but overall (particularly for the kind of book that's not typically my thing) I came away pleasantly fulfilled.

United Kingdom on Nov 12, 2022

Kindle Customer: Using his artistic skill which his father gave him, he made his father (whether alive or died on that day) eternally alive in all the readers mind.
The book shows how patriotism canbe interpreted in an evil way to fulfil our lust for power and the true face of patriotism.

United Kingdom on Sep 26, 2022

Lewis: The Return: Fathers, Sons and the Land In Between

From the title, it was a little difficult to establish just what the book would offer – however, having a professional interest in Libyan politics for a number of years I bought the book with no preconceived ideas.

It is well known that the Gaddafy regime was responsible for a great number of killings – not only in Libya – but throughout Europe – including the UK.

April 1980 saw the commencement of two audacious shootings/murders in London – which took the UK ‘Authorities’ by complete surprise.

Those killed: (by the regime)

Mohamed M Ramadan 11th April 1980 and Mahmoud A Nafa 21st April 1980

There was a further ‘attempted’ murder in London during the same month – but researchers and the public will find little detail (if at all) of that particular case. Fortunately, that attempt was thwarted with barely seconds to spare. The individual/target was a senior opposition figure who had become one of several ‘Stray Dogs’ – an obnoxious term openly given to those who had the temerity to oppose Gaddafy.

Later that same month saw the formation of one of the largest...

United Kingdom on Apr 07, 2017

R. R. Costas Jr.: I decided to buy this book based on an NPR radio interview with the author that I heard soon after the book's release. He had such a wonderful speaking voice and delivery that it made me want to buy the book thinking and hoping that his prose would be as beautiful. It is.

In addition, having lost my own father when I was barely 21 (although in much less complicated conditions than the author's), any story about fathers and sons always will catch my interest.

In the end I couldn't give this a 5-star rating. Something was missing and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Perhaps it is that, while I can relate to the issue of a lost father and memories, I am not muslim or from the African continent...nor am I a political exile. Therefore, I couldn't relate completely to the author's pain and resolve.

What I did get was a good education on Libya, of which I know only what I've seen in the news for the past 30 years. I learned more than I knew about Qaddafi's brutality and of the life of exiles throughout the continent and Europe. The prose is very nice and easy to read....sometimes too easy. I found myself going back to re-read some passages because I had a...

United States on Aug 10, 2016