By Erica Wiggins
Content Warnings: violence, death
Sparks Like Stars is Nadia Hashimi’s fourth adult novel. She has also written two middle-grade novels. As a novelist and pediatrician, her heritage and experiences shine through in her stories. She is heavily involved in the Afghan community, working on several committees to help provide education to vulnerable children and support to upcoming female leaders.
Hashimi is an auto-buy author for me. Everything she writes has a way of transporting you through space and time and planting you in the middle of the story. You feel the characters pain, struggle with them through their challenges, and celebrate their triumphs. She teaches her readers about places and cultures in a simple, straightforward way that feels more autobiographical than fiction. Her writing is thoughtful and beautifully written. Once I dive into the story, I am fully immersed and savouring every word, often reading more slowly to make it last longer. I have loved all of her previous novels, and Sparks Like Stars did not disappoint.
“Were it not for the day my buried life appeared before me announced, I might have kept it all hidden forever.”
Sparks Like Stars drew me in with a quick three-page prologue that leaves you asking yourself a whole lot of questions and ready to find out some answers.
Part one jumps from the present time to April 1978 in Kabul, Afghanistan. We follow the story of Sitara, a young, privileged girl whose father works for the president. She and her family often spend time at the palace playing with the grandchildren of the president while her father works. One night there is a coup as soldiers turn on the president and there are many deaths. Sitara survives this attack and finds herself with two American women who help her get to safety. The first half gives you a glimpse into what life was like in Afghanistan.
Part two transitions to November 2008, where Sitara is now living under the name Aryana and is working in New York as an oncologist. She has never been able to get over the experiences from her childhood. She holds the people in her life at a distance and lets almost no one know her real story. One day Shair, the guard who saved her that fateful night, enters her clinic. When Aryana recognizes him, a doorway to her past opens, and the memories she has tried to bury return to the surface. Aryana makes choices to try to get answers about her past, but can she ever move on from her childhood?
Be ready to feel everything about this book. It is so hard to not feel invested. This writing style makes me want to learn and grow—to be a better person.
Sparks Like Stars is heartbreaking, tragic, and hopeful. Sitara (Aryana) grows through her hardships to become a strong, smart, and resilient woman. This story should be read by anyone looking to learn more about Afghan culture and strong women. If you have not read her books, I highly recommend you check them out. You will not be disappointed. Her stories will linger with you long after you finish reading them.