Book Review: The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan by Salma Hussain (MG novel), published by Tundra Books

 In 1991, the eldest of a family of soon-to-be five, Mona Hasan has a happy life in Dubai, United Arab Emirates until...until her parents ruin her life by moving the family to a foreign country--Canada.

As a Westerner, I think I see the world clearly. I think I know-- But I had tunnel vision. Enter Mona Hasan.

Crushes, poor haircuts, fashion decisions, arguments with her younger sister, Mona Hasan is a relatable preteen protagonist and the perfect character to open my western eyes to life in another country.

What Mona taught me about the UAE...

Girls can become math teachers but not bankers.

The female body isn't discussed in school.

'Fridays are Holy days and school is closed.' (p. 5)

Mona is a smart, capable, wise pre-teen with a good amount of self-confidence and self-esteem.

Mona wisdom...

'Prehaps alongside reading the [newspaper] headlines of everything happening in the world, we also need to read about and remind ourselves of the extraordinary lives being lived by ordinary people every single day.' (p. 278)

'how big my gazoongas get and what my body looks like is not anywhere as astonishing and incredible as what my body can do.' (p. 141)

'Isn't it  so strange that kids all around the world play different kinds of games but have the exact same amount of fun?' (p. 130)

'why can't we just share the unimportant stuff (like land) with everyone.' (p. 102) 

However, Mona does have flaws. For example, she's not always the nicest person in the room.  

The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan

Salma Hussain

Tundra Books

2022

I received my copy from the author.

Set in a country weathering through war, The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan could have been a scary book. However, because Mona is sheltered from adult concerns, the book is full of humour and thoughtful reflection.

photo by ldyck

October on this Blog...

Go Red for Dyslexia

Winners of the 2022 BC and Yukon Book Prize

and...

Scotiabank Giller Prize

and...

Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize

and...

City of Victoria Butler Book Prize

and...

It's literary awards season and we're celebrating on this blog. I'm devoting the entire month to reviewing books...

Sunday, October 2

Book Review: These Precious Days (essays) by Ann Patchett

Sunday, October 16

Book Review: Everyone in this room will someday be dead (novel) by Emily Austin

Sunday, October 24

Book Review: Hannah and Ariela (novel) by Johnnie Bernhard

Sunday, October 31

 The Dollhouse: a ghost story by Charis Cotter

What happened to and on Sunday, October 9? Well, you know I couldn't go an entire month without sharing a short story. And so...

Sunday, October 9

Mistakes (short story) by Leanne Dyck

This short story was inspired by my years caring for children in Day Care Centres. 

And I'll sneak other stories in here and there. Keep your eyes open...

Oh, yes and on Wednesday, October 12 I'll record Books and share it on this blog. And with your help, there will be more recordings. I'm always open to suggestions.

Riddle: What gets stronger as it grows older?

An Old Man on a Small Island (short story) by Leanne Dyck

What do residents of a remote island do for fun? That question inspired this short story...

photo by ldyck

 An Old Man on a Small Island

Once when I was new to this flyspeck in the Pacific Ocean I went down to the bakery. I wanted to meet some locals. So I grabbed a coffee and a muffin and headed to a table of self-described old geezers. They were talking when I joined them but wanted to know what I was about.

"I'm into history." History, I said because I didn't want to get into the whole mess about how I was an author out harvesting stories. "That's how I get the flavour of a place." I asked them what they'd done on the island for fun when they were young.

Well, it turned out that most were from elsewhere--Vancouver, Toronto, the prairies. And too quickly the conversation flowed into gardening, sports, politics--no story there. I was getting ready to leave when one of them--he was balding with a wiry, grey beard that stuck out from his chin--piped up. Everyone shut up, immediately.

"I used to take my bike and head down to the ferry terminal." He had a thin, gravely voice. "I pedaled like mad--faster than the ticket agent could run. The ramp was on its way up. My goal was to land on the deck and win a free ride to Vancouver. But I always ended up swimming to shore, carrying my bike--and, let me tell you, that's no mean feat. That's what I did on this island for fun when I was young."

                                                                photo by ldyck

Friends asked me to confess, "Who was that old man?"

And I hope I didn't disappoint when I replied, "He lives only in my imagination."

It's Literary Award Season...

BC and Yukon Book Prize finalists

Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust longlist

The Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist

Victoria Butler Book Prize longlist

Sunday, September 25 on this blog...

Book Review: The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan by Salma Hussain (middle grade novel)

...opened this Westerner's eyes.

Books (short story) by Leanne Dyck

photo by ldyck

I just watched The Newest Tree to Join Rockefeller Centre. That video reminded me of this short story...

 Books

For Christmas and sometimes on my birthday I received a new one. Additionally, one arrived monthly thanks to Dr. Seuss and his friends. However, most of my picture books were hand-me-downs. There were ones about puppies and farm animals and some with poetry and… One of my favourites was about a big ball of string. I’d spend hours pouring over the pictures. Then I’d ask, “Can you read this book to me?” I asked my parents and three older brothers until I found a reader.

One day, perhaps because he was sick and tired of reading to me, my brother Randy told me, “You know, there are other things you can do with your books.”

Don’t worry he didn’t suggest that we burn them.

“We could build a book tower,” he told me, and… “You have so many that I bet it could reach the ceiling.”

I marveled at that possibility.

We collected all my books, armfuls after armfuls, and brought them all to the living room.

“To form the walls, we need four books that are the same height,” Randy told me. “Yes, those will do. We’ll lay this book on top so we can build up from here.”

We built the tower higher and higher and even higher. And even though Randy was a lot taller than me, it became necessary for him to stand on a chair. He retrieved one from the kitchen. I continued to help by passing books up to him. Sometimes he’d pass them back, saying, “Remember, the books have to be the same size.”

I recall spending an entire day hard at play with Randy. I’m not sure if we used all my books or if there were leftovers but I pinky swear that the tower did touch the living room ceiling.

                                                                    photo by ldyck

September on this Blog...

Sunday, September 18

An Old Man On A Small Island by Leanne Dyck (short story)

What do people do for fun on my remote island home? You may wonder.

This short story answers that question.

Sunday, September 25

Book Review: The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan by Salma Hussain (middle grade novel)

I'm currently savoring this book. Will I finish it in time to review it? Here's hoping.

Book Review: Binge by Douglas Coupland (short story collection), published by Random House Canada

 Douglas Coupland has his finger on the pulse of the 2020s. He knows us--with and without our clothes on.

Binge: 60 short stories to make your brain feel different

Douglas Coupland

Random House Canada

2021

251 pages

The book is aptly titled Binge because that's precisely what you'll want to do with this collection. Like chips, you won't be able to stop reading after devouring one story. And as the stories are all under ten pages in length, you'll easily be able to indulge your desire. However, you may want to slow down to meditate upon what you just read. There is much food for thought.

The stories are written in the first person and feature a diverse cast of characters--male, female; gay, straight; abled, disabled; children, adults. Some stories are paired--Coupland examines the same story from two unusual, always entertaining angles.

Binge is at times humourous, always provocative. It's a must-read.

Favourite quotes...

'and it dawned on me that most people are totally lost inside their own lives, and that I'd better be getting on with mine really quick, before it was all over.' (p. 41)

'Not everyone wants to be who they're supposed to be 100 percent of the time. Everyone has hidden selves just waiting to pop out. It's who we are.' (p. 22)

'if our lives aren't stories, what are they? Glorified microbes on a petri dish?' (p. 250)

photo by ldyck

September on this Blog...

Thursday, September 8

International Literacy Day

Sunday, September 11

Books by Leanne Dyck (short story)

"Dyslexics don't like books. They're reluctant readers," they say.

Hmm, well... Not all of us. I've always loved stories. This story explains how much.

Sunday, September 18

An Old Man On A Small Island by Leanne Dyck (short story)

What do people do for fun on my remote island home? You may wonder.

This short story answers that question.

Sunday, September 25

Book Review: The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan by Salma Hussain (middle grade novel)

This book opened my Western eyes to life in another country.

photo by ldyck

A story...

Launching a Poetry Book

"I'm pleased to read to you from my collection of love poems."