Hair of the Piegon

Khaled Hosseini is one of my favorite authors. He highlights the weaknesses of his characters and takes the readers on a journey through the development of those flaws. He takes two characters and juxtaposes them as they often go on their individual journey toward the same goal. So, when I read the hook of Hair of the Pigeon - that the story would connect with lovers of Hosseini - I was ready to dive in. And, I did just that. 

First, the prose is so matter-of-fact, yet eloquently done, Mohammed Massoud Morsi gives you a visual exposé of life at this Palestinian refugee camp in Syria. I felt that I was right in the midst of this community struggling to survive and hold on to their identity. The sense of community was crafted very similarly to James McBride’s Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, where we get invested in these characters as they are introduced as individual people at the camp, rather than simply serving as an element of the protagonist’s life. 

We are introduced to new characters in this way, yet the world is revealed through the perspective of the protagonist, sometimes through the innocence of a child. We learn about the primary character of interest, Sama, in this way. As her intriguing character unfolds, we begin to question her actions, specifically starting with one of Sama’s first interactions with the pigeons. We try to answer: who is this girl? The same question we watch Ghasson try to answer for himself throughout the novel. ​

The story reminds me of Slumdog Millionaire a bit as well, specifically recalling the trope of a young boy coming of age as he pines over a girl while the author juxtaposes him with a close friend, often rougher and tougher than the protagonist. There are a few more parallels that emerged for me, but I will refrain from getting too detailed, this is actually a story I recommend going into relatively blind. You get to appreciate the story, prose, and development a bit more as you go on a journey with the characters.

I appreciated this story so much it dragged me out of a month-long reading slump. I almost wish I didn’t read it yet, so I can enjoy it once again.