Daughters of Smoke and Fire: A Novel

I great book. Very well written in a very creative way. As a Kurd, at times it was infuriating and too real so it was hard to read but this book should be a must read for everyone.

As a Kurdish woman, born in Mariwan, the story line mimics my experiences, feeling the oppression with every single cell in my body: both as a woman under the inhumane Islamic Regime and as a Kurd under a Racist system. For non-Kurds "Daughters of Smoke and Fire" might be approached as a “Novel” but to millions of Kurds this “work of art” is a factual memoir. The systematic racism which has seeped into the society is well portrayed in the novel. In first grade I was called “an infidel Kurd” by a Persian “Khahar” (Sister: moral police in schools); I knew I was a Kurd but did not understand the infidel part, which upon inquiring from my father, he replied to “yes, we are and there’s nothing wrong with it, one should love humanity for the sake of humanity”.I am grateful for Ava Homa who has so elegantly articulated the pain, hatred and fear Kurds feel every day. The depiction of the Police State in the occupied Kurdistan parallels to 1984 and how those opposing the system are exterminated.Being deprived of our basic human rights to self-determination, being forced to learn Arabic because it's language of Islam yet deprived of our native tongue!! Atrocities still continue, the beautiful Kurdland torn into four pieces.Ava Homa is an amazing writer, her talent enables her to give voice to those who have none, I was in tears for some chapters and was rejoicing for the others, those were my memories, it was about me! I did not want to eat or sleep until I finished the novel, many of the scenes were so vivid and well-articulated I remembered myself walking along Zrebar Lake and hating the occupying army whose boots were trembling the poppies on my blood-soaked land!There are so many lines that burnt into my memory, the one I love the most is when Leila responds to the question of if she’s proud to be Kurdish, and her reply is “Proud is not the right word”; being proud of belonging to a certain race, gender or religion has no merit for pride, one did not do anything to belong to that group except being born into it by chance. We should strive to make others’ lives better, we should strive to spread love and stop hatred and war, we should strive toward healing wounds and opening a communication bridge, for humanity to see one another as equals deserving of same rights, only and only then we can say we’re proud.Ava gian bravo for penning an amazing literary work, in every sense of the word!!

I didn’t know I was thirsty for a book written about the Kurdish people by a Kurdish author until I read this one. I read for many reasons: entertainment, escape, humor but I read primarily to learn something about a place, a culture, a people that I didn’t know before. This book did not disappoint.As an immigrant whose country is so negligently ignored or misrepresented, I knew the soundbites we rarely hear on the news about the Kurdish people’s struggles are not representative of the truth.In Leila, Chia, Karo, Ms. Homa gave us characters perhaps most readers have not met in real life, but their humanity is ours, their young dreams are ours, their anguish is ours. She shows us that no matter where we hail from in the world, we are not that different and that we are not only defined by our experiences. I kept turning the last page as if I could make more. I didn’t want the story to end.I’m looking forward to reading more from this this author. Great work!

This novel is an absolute must read for Feminism, human rights, and advocacy. Through it's poetic story-telling, the realities of the historically marginalized Kurdish people are centered with bravery, truth, and courage. It's an absolute must read for women, historians, the socially conscious, the politically active, youth looking to create change in the world, anyone that advocates for and believes in human rights, and more. Homa is an excellent writer and takes you on a journey into the heart and Soul of Kurdish people.

This gripping, heartfelt debut novel by Kurdish author Ava Homa details a young Kurdish woman’s coming of age under the Iranian regime. With a father traumatized by witnessed atrocities and prison torture, and a mother battling mental illness, Leila dotes on her younger brother Chia. As he follows in his father’s footsteps in fighting for Kurdish self-determination, Chia is imprisoned, leaving Leila with only Chia’s writings and his best friend – for comfort as she herself embraces the path of resistance.In Daughters of Smoke & Fire, Homa details the almost unimaginable oppression Kurds must endure. With the best jobs and universities reserved for non-Kurdish Iranians, Kurds are left to struggle for survival. The Morality Police patrol the streets, with prison and execution awaiting those who refuse to accept the inhuman treatment. The situation is worse for women—subject to arrest and a virginity test for things as innocent as reading books or wearing makeup. But not all is doom and gloom. Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of Daughters of Smoke & Fire is the resilience and vitality of Homa’s characters in the face of such oppression. Rather than give up, they fight.This is one of those books that once you start, you can’t put down.