Crescent: A Novel

What an amazing novel. I felt as if i was more in a dream state, then reading a book. How does she do that? Lovely book.

I was intrigued by a newspaper review of Crescent while preoccupied with events happening in the Middle-East, and so I thought I'd try this book out for some insight. Crescent is very much akin to sitting down day after day in a local Middle-Eastern cafe and eavesdropping on a different culture and world. Through Sirine, a cook at Um Nadia's cafe in her late 30's, we smell, taste, and experience her daily life in Los Angeles. Sirine isn't all that in touch with her Iraqi heritage, but throughout the novel she develops a love interest with a university graduate student named Han who tells her all about modern day Iraq. Other characters in Sirine's life, especially her lovable Uncle who creates a fantastic fairy-tale straight out of Arabian Nights which mysteriously echo's Sirine's life, contribute to her burgeoning interest in her heritage. All the while, she cooks up wonderfully aromatic, delicious food that brings everyone together. There is a unique level of passionate discussion and debate about poetry, politics, and daily life among these people which creates an intimate atmosphere and sense of pride in their cultural heritage. One of Abu-Jaber's characters at one point mentions Mafouz, an Egyptian writer, and so I was encouraged to find a copy of his "Cairo Triology", which I plan on reading. Sirine's search for love and identity amidst the backdrop of modern day Los Angeles is at times difficult, sad and lonely, but often humerous and always passionate. Surely, while reading Crescent you will find yourself sipping hot coffee and dining at your favorite local Middle-Eastern cafe, and rooting for Sirine to find fulfillment in the end.

Are you a foodie? Ever been in love? Enjoy a good yarn? Intrigued by exotic cultures? Do you fancy good poetry? Want to be moved? READ CRESCENT. You will be smitten and spiced and wooed and enraptured by the spell of a masterful storyteller and literary artist.After finishing this book, I wanted to shout from the rooftops-"Everyone--stop what you are doing--read Crescent! Your life will be enriched for the experience." Abu-Jaber cooks with amazingly lyrical and unselfconscious metaphors. Without cliché, she stirs you into her characters' lives, serves up the smell of cardamom-spiced coffee, lentils and onions, tabouli-and dips you in the complexities of lust and love and adventure and hope.Meanwhile, the layers of her story are like the complex layers of a great dish. Beyond the protagonist, Sirine's story, there is her love's story, and there are the stories of those around them both. At the same time, Sirine's beloved uncle and father-surrogate spins an Arabian-nights-style epic of mermaids and sirens and jinns and the Mother of All Fish, and oh yeah, Omar Sharif. The uncle's story slides in and out of the current story, and they each cast light on the other. Oh, it's all too complicated and juicy and fun to do justice by explaining it. Sounds chaotic, but in fact, Crescent makes brilliant, colorful good sense.After this glorious feast of a book, you will be satisfied and happy. And enlightened a little about Middle-Eastern culture. It made me want to cook! And to love more completely. Thank you, Diana Abu-Jaber, for creating this work of love and for serving it up for our enjoyment.

got about a fourth of the way and had to dnf this book. i tried and tried to push myself through it, but had enough. full of colorism and hurtful descriptions. the entire reason why the main woman in the book is beautiful is because of her blonde hair and pale skin. she’s written to be an arab woman who doesn’t look arab and that’s why she’s beautiful. just a very ignorant and colorist plot line and made the book very unenjoyable. would not recommend, especially if you’re looking for a romance with an arab woman being loved for who she is.

This is my favorite book. I can't tell you how many copies I've bought to replace ones I've given away to friends. It's a wonderful read when you're broken hearted, or feeling lost, or hungry for a good story you can sink your teeth into. I had the privilege of studying writing with Professor Abu-Jaber many many years ago at University (I had already read this, as well as Arabian Jazz, and so was a little starstruck) and I have always loved her voice. She is a superlative storyteller, and this, her most tender tale of love and food and being set adrift in America, offers a rare and nuanced glimpse into the aftermath of the first Iraq war and the middle eastern immigrant experience. It's hard to describe; the pacing is slow and often contemplative, but there's a lot going on...many story lines weave in and out of the main narrative and just when you think you can't possibly keep track of it all it starts to pull together into one big, messy, epic, intimate, dreamy, visceral, tragic, beautiful story. Every character is fascinating and human and inherently worth loving, even the scoundrels. And the way she writes about food! Every morsel is mouthwatering. Also, there's a dog and he's pretty great.

What an excellent book. A little slow at times but very much worth reading. Interesting information about Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries and cultures.

If there was 10 out of 10 Stars I would give a hundred I was supposed to get in September 14 but it was delivered by the 10th. The packaging is very careful and organized I felt like it came from the heart it was a well-packaged and very neat, thank you!

I picked up this book over the summer to have something to read while a lot of my favorite tv shows were on hiatus during the summer months. The storyline is quite cute and lovely, its about a girl who has roots back in the middle east, but is a regular American girl like the rest of us and is still looking for love despite the fact she's not in her 20s anymore. There is a little plot twist, and the ending was rather cute and unexpected. This is a great read, quite delightful, fresh, and fun. Only dislike was that I couldn't get to taste a lot of the food the character was cooking in the book and made me hungry!!!

I've read every single book by Jaber and can barely wait for every one of her novels. Crescent is a memoir of her time in Jordan, her fathers homeland and about some of her upbringing in America and the bigotry and ignorance they faced being an inter-cultural family. Its about identity and independence and allowing the Arabian in her to inform the American woman she became. I found her mother to be the surprise hero of her story and her families story. Im Arabian myself (Lebanese) so it was fascinating to see the familiar events and personalities and culture clash and knitting all of that together to create a new person.

This book is a must-read!!! When I started reading it, I didn't know much about the story and the plot in general. But from the beginning, I was amazed, caught into the story and couldn't stop reading anymore.This is such a hearty, true, emotional and lovely story, full of turns and twists and until the end you're not sure what will happen. I really just love it!