SEA PRAYER BY KHALED HOSSEINI

TITLE- Sea Prayer
AUTHOR- Khaled Hosseini,
ILLUSTRATED BY- Dan Williams
GENRE- War fiction
NUMBER OF PAGES- 42
FORMAT- Hardbound
PUBLISHERS- Bloomsbury publications.

About the book-

On a moonlit beach a father cradles his sleeping son as they wait for dawn to break and a boat to arrive. He speaks to his boy of the long summer of his childhood, recalling his grandfather's house in Syria, the stirring of olive trees in the breeze, the bleating of his grandmother's goat, the clanking of cooking pots. And he remembers, too, the bustling of Homs with it's crowded lanes, it's mosque and grand souk, in the days before the sky spat bombs and they had to flee. 

When the sun rises they and those around them will gather their possessions and embark on a perilous sea journey in the search of a new home.

My rating- 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

My review-

This book is a short illustration, the first of it's kind by Khaled Hosseini. 

The book presents itself in the form of a short monologue- more of a soliloquy by a father to his son before they are supposed to embark on the journey towards an uncertain future.

While awaiting a boat, the father tells his son of the times from his childhood- which perhaps the son doesn't remember. He tells about the peace that prevailed in Syria, where even, they lived a normal life, before it got torn apart by the wars.

The son has only seen the destruction, the smoke filled skies, the burials and the ominous surroundings. However the father reminds him of the times of tranquility, trying to make him familiar with all the things that existed and tries to give him hope of a new beginning. Though in his heart he knows that he is powerless infront of all the things that they will encounter on the way thorough the sea.

The story, though it's very short, clearly portrays a father reminiscing about the happy memories, dreading the path ahead but at the same time trying to protect his son from the same.

It tells about the disruptive nature of warfare and the torment families go through thereafter, where they are in an emotional turmoil of being uprooted and face the pressure to start a new beginning.

The entire book is filled with beautiful illustrations, making the words more realistic.

The story was inspired by a certain 3 year old who drowned on his way to safety and the uncountable refugees who lost their lives trying to cross the sea.

With his skilful way of depicting tragedy and downside of human life the author has once again managed to give a power packed story filled with raw emotions but in a lyrical format.

Yes, being short it is unsatisfactory to some extent but the illustrations and the fewer words make it a heart- touching experience. 

The few words are enough to tell about the bigger picture- an interesting way for the readers to perceive the depth of the story.

For all the Khaled Hosseini lovers and also the art lovers- definitely give this a read. 

And to all the poetry lovers- this is one of the best pieces you will come across.

Writing style-

Just like his previous books, the author has beautifully depicted the raw human emotions forcing the readers to ponder upon the situation of warfare and the torment that results from it.

The illustrations accompanying the words not only corroborate them but are a visual treat in itself.

Lyrical and magical is what I would like to say about the writing style.

About the author-

Khaled Hosseini is one of the most widely read and beloved authors. His novel The Kite Runner, A thousand splendid suns and And the mountains echoed have sold over 55 million copies all over the world. He is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the founder of The Khaled Hosseini Foundation, a not-for-profit organization which provides humanitarian assiatance to the people of Afghanistan. He was born in Kabul, Afghanistan and lives in North California.

Dan Williams is a London based artist whose illustrations accompanied an extract of A thousand splendid suns in the Guardian when it was first published. His work has also appeared in National Geographic, Rolling stone and the Wall Street Journal, amongst other publications.