The Map of Salt and Stars

Lara Sawalha beautifully narrates this compelling and socially significant novel about two parallel heroines. Nour is an American-born Syrian girl returning to the old country with her family, only to find their lives irrevocably destroyed by the war. Sawalha portrays Nour's youthful confusion and yearning as they scrape their way across the Middle East and North Africa. Nour comforts herself with the tale of Rawiya, a twelfth-century girl who is apprenticed to a legendary traveling mapmaker. Sawalha's superb narration of this poignant novel is only slightly marred by the lack of clear shifts between the stories. Overall, her exquisite pronunciation of Arabic names and phrases allows listeners to become immersed in Rawiya's adventures and bravery. N.M.C. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine