Book Review: Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar
4.5*****
The hype is justified! I was hesitant to read this for a while there, because so many lauded books were disappointing to me last year, but I am happy to report, this one lived up to high expectations. I had heard about it ages ago, when the author was a guest on a podcast, and he was so eloquent and seemed very thoughtful that I was quick to add the book to my tbr and then forgot about it again, because my tbr is an out of control beast...
It's difficult to describe this book. Is it fiction? Nonfiction? Memoir? Satire? Some kind of wonderfully blended amalgam of all of the above? Whatever it is, I enjoyed it from beginning to end. The writing is elegant, yet accessible, and the story incredibly relevant to our times. I especially liked the last fifty pages, which focused on the author's relationship with his father. In Homeland Elegies, Akhtar explores what home means, how we seek to find it in places, in other people, and in ourselves. What a satisfying way to start this reading year! Recommended!
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