Seize The Fig Orchard Crafted By Layla Fiske Conveyed As Physical Book

Fig Orchard was an engaging and well written book, While I read it, I felt transported through time and space by the author's descriptions of flavours, sights, and smells.
Combined with the heartbreaking and heartwarming story, it was an engaging read, When I was not reading the book, I was thinking about it, Ever time I picked it up I was instantly reabsorbed in the characters and their lives, While the situations the characters experienced were far removed from my life, the characters and underlying themes were very relatable.
It is a beautiful book that I will definitely reread in the future, A beautiful tale, told in Syria, a land of turmoil, It gives you a delightful insight into a place which is so alien, Wonderful descriptions of the land, culture, dress and food, which take you on a glorious journey, The story of Nisrinia, her loves, her faith, her bravery and her maternal instinct, which had me entranced from start to finish.
Only a gifted storyteller like Layla Fiske could do justice to this intriguing fictional tale of Nisrina Huniah and her struggles to raise three children alone in a maledominated Middle Eastern culture after her husband is forcibly "conscripted" into the Turkish army.
Inspired by her reallife grandmother's similar experience, Layla pays beautiful homage to her family with a story that will live on for a very long time.
The debut author richly weaves a love story, tragedy, perserverance in the face of daunting odds and longheld cultural Middle Eastern traditions

into a pageturning novel.
Nisrina is ayearold girl who is unwillingly thrust into an arranged marriage in her village near the Jordan River in Palestine.
However, she soon comes to deeply love her husband, Jabran, and they build a life with their children and his extended family.
As farmers, they grow figs and olives, Until one day, Jabran is kidnapped by Turkish soldiers and conscripted into their service to fight against the British in the expanding World War.
Devastated, Nisrina makes a critical decision she goes to live in a Catholic convent in Jerusalem and studies to be a midwife.
She makes strong bonds with several of the nuns, which will be of great benefit later, Back in her village, Nisrina becomes respected for her work and care, and her children, despite the loss of their father and mystery of his whereabouts, thrive in their mother's devotion.
But Nisrina's life is disrupted yet again due to an evil brotherinlaw and once again, she is forced to leave her family.
I won't drop any more spoilers, but know that this story continues its compelling arc, The reader also learns what happens to Jabran, . . But sadly , the ultimate reunion never materializes, The Fig Orchard is an epic saga and debut novel written by Layla Fiske, It was published Julynd,, by Rancho Publishing, LLC, The Fig Orchard was named one of the Best Books ofby Kirkus s, It was the winner of the Theodor S, Geisel "Best of the Best" Book Award, winner of the San Diego Book Awards Best Historical Fiction, and the winner of the Benjamin Franklin Silver Award for Historical Fiction.
Who wouldn't be interested in the struggles of a family separated by war, and a woman who was a source of unfailing strength However, I quickly realized that I sadly had no interest in the way the story was told.
I found the writing difficult, The author relied heavily upon cliches, repetition, and predictability,
Fiske was raised with the culture, language, and foods of the Middle East, She also had her grandmothers stories to enrich her cultural experience and to help create a colorful tapestry in which to immerse her story.

Fiske has painted a stunning picture of the Holy Land in the years before, during, and after WWI.
The customs, climate, dress, and food all come alive during this historical time and place, The characters are believable, both human and fallible, All of the characters are prone to their own unique sufferings, The story is told by the author with care and an inclination towards descriptive prose designed to capture imagination.
It is a book written to elicit emotion, It is a sweeping epic told across borders, land, and ages, It includes a full spectrum of human experiences, including love, war, tragedy, joy, friendship, and loyalty, Time and place weigh in heavily as the reader bears witness to the changing times of Palestine and its people during the turn of the century.
I believe this book is harder for a young age group and would recommend this book would be best for ages.
Layla Fiske is an exceptionally talented storyteller, Her awardwinning novel, The Fig Orchard, transported me the highest compliment one can give a storyteller, I feel.
And it educated me, taking me places Id never wholly considered before an Arab Christian community in WWl Palestine.
And then it completely wrapped its arms around me, first with food and smells and traditions and figures of speech foreign, but also, strangely, universal and comforting, and then with love for characters one aches to conceal and protect.
I was enthralled by the characters journeys and dismayed by the worse than secondclass status of its women I went to bed more than one night feeling SO immensely grateful for my right to choose or fight for absolutely anything I want.


Its a rarity for a story to pull me so completely into another place and time, but The Fig Orchard totally drew me into its orbit.
Its got some kind of powerful thing going on, and that kind of powerful storytelling magic is something Id like to experience more of encore, please!
If you're looking for a mesmerizing tale to take you on a ride through history in a region of the world you've never been, read this book.
Ms. Fiske is a masterful storyteller who surreptitiously makes you love her characters, well not all of them, but most.
By the time you finish reading The Fig Orchard the characters will seem like old friends that you are sorry to see go.
Perhaps Ms. Fiske will write a sequel featuring the next generation of the Yusef family, Hint, hint . A gorgeous story, filled with family, food, love and adventure, I couldn't put this one down, The writing is lyrical and the characters are very real, Looking forward to reading more from this author! The title was intriguing to me when I first saw it on Goodreads First Reads and I was thrilled when I won it and received a wonderful thank you from the author! I know if I am going to love a book or not after reading the first paragraph and I was hooked with this one.
It was a beautifully told story about love, friendship and redemption, There was good story development which made it hard to put down and how the characters crossed paths was unexpected and rewarding.
This book will stay with me for a long time, I cannot wait to give it to my mom to read I know she will love it as well! Looking forward to more from Layla Fiske thank you for such a touching read! It was so nice to read a good, oldfashioned novel.
To me, that means no artificial literary pretensions, Bad things happen to good people, they overcome them something else happens and you are never sure if all will be well.
Would be quite logical and realistic if the story ended in tragedy, I am reminded of "Gone with the Wind" except the heroine is a thoroughly nice person and the war is in Palestine during WW I.
And I never sympathized with the Turks as I did with Confederate soldiers! Once I got past the first chapter, which for some reason I kept on putting the book down maybe too many interruptions after I couldn't put the book down, such rich descriptions and what a different world! It was enlightening to read about a country that we only hear problems in and their history.
Of course I loved Nisrina and her strength, Looking forward to meeting the author at our book club gathering! I really enjoyed this book of love, loss, and perseverance.
I could almost smell the flowers and taste the foods, Looking forward to meeting the author at our next book club, A very nice read. So glad I live where I live in the time we live, Reading books about other times in other lands make me appreciate my life even more, This book was joyfulIm sure some would say too joyful because everything worked out perfectlyor as perfectly as it could under the circumstances.
It all came togetheryes too perfectly, So what I loved it because goodness triumphed, I loved it because it was filled with faith, forgiveness and love, The only thing that I didnt like was the abrupt ending, The author tied every story line up in a happy complete ending but left us without a beautiful closure of Nisrina and Jabran.
I really wish she would have written one more chapter detailing the reunion of these two we were all waiting for.
It just seemed incomplete without it, But I loved the writing and the story, Let me start this review by saying that I am a voracious reader, When I get into a book, I devour it, That said, when my mom first read this book, and raved about it, I was still hesitant to read it.
I didn't think that it would be a story to my liking, Still, I purchased it, on my Kindle, to read before our book club gets together to discuss it.
I waited, and waited. But, I finally sat down to read it, and I was captured from the start, I felt a kinship toward Nisrina, as a girl who just wanted more out of life than what was about to be handed to her.
Instead of getting to leave, for the girls school, with her closest friend, Nisrina was instead given to marriage.
I fell in love with the story of her life with Jabran, . . with his tender, and true love for his wife, and their children, I wept with her as he was taken away for a war he wanted nothing to do with.
As the story continues, there is much heartache, But, somewhere along the way, Nisrina comes into her true calling, and returns home a woman, with strength, knowledge and courage.
Written in a time, and place, where women are to be completely dependent on men, to honor and obey them.
. Nisrina lives a life like a roller coaster ride, with many ups and downs, Yet, she keeps strong in the face of much adversity, With a beautiful ending, that left me aching to want more, but fulfilled me at the same time.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, I would love to see Layla Fiske write a second book, picking up where The Fig Orchard left off.
Giving us a glimpse into the reunion, that was much anticipated through each turned page, To hear about the lives of Nisrina and Jabran's children, I won this book in a GOODREADS, COM giveaway on December,. The author mailed a copy to me and I received it on January,, The book was so interesting that I am glad that I started it immediately upon receipt,

This story takes place in Palestine before World War I, A young girl, Nisrina, is raised in a society that frowns upon the education of women, She is raised by her coldhearted father, but taken under the wing of her stepmother, An arranged marriage brings about feelings of fear, but she lucks out because her husband turns out to be sweet and thoughtful Some women found that their husbands, whom they often did not met before the wedding, were brutal.
Nisrinas husband is kidnapped and forced to become a soldier for the Turks, She is left to raise their three children as she prays for his return,

This story was great fun and it kept me captivated for hours, The story is told with rich and beautiful detail, The reader is transported to this time and can almost smell the wonderful meals,

I do plan to donate this book to the library so that others can enjoy it.

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