Praise for Bird Summons
Named One of The Guardian's Best Books of 2019 "[E]legant . . . [P]ossesses all the pleasures we've come to expect from Aboulela, the author of
Lyrics Alley and
The Translator: psychological acuity, rich characterization, intricate emotional plotting. And prose that is clear, lovely and resonant as a ringing bell."
–Washington Post
"This novel is a perfect balancing act: a beautiful portrait of three individuals, an insightful blend of Muslim and Celtic fables, equal parts fierce and fun." –
LitHub, "10 New Books We're Excited About This Week"
"Aboulela does a beautiful job examining faith and the interior life of women." –
Christian Science Monitor, "10 Best Books of February"
"[E]ngagingly executed . . . .Each well-developed plot line deepens characterization, while Aboulela's interweaving of Muslim and Celtic fables via the sacred hoopoe bird, adds another dimension to the story and offers a sense of connection between the two traditions and the past and the present."–
Booklist, starred review
"[I]mpressive . . . Aboulela's novel is empathetic and insightful, offering a nuanced representation of the three characters through a blend of Islamic faith and Scottish folklore."–
Publishers Weekly "Tender, but unsentimental. . . rooted in everyday experience without forsaking the spiritual, told in effortlessly enjoyable style."
–Daily Mail
"She's so good with women's interiority, and Muslim women's subjectivity... She gets beyond any cliché or type of the Muslim women."
–BBC Radio
"A magic carpet ride into the forest of history and the lives of women. Playful, profound, and moving."–
Lucy Ellman, author of Sweet Desserts and Mimi
"A Scottish-Arabic Canterbury Tales, a quest full of stories and surprises: a challenging storyteller's tour de force, uniting two radically different cultures with a handshake and a kiss."
–Patricia Dunker, author of Hallucinating Foucault
"A wonderful book. I loved the beauty of its language and the subtle interweaving of myth with the spiritual and physical journeys of the women. I found it fascinating, powerful and profound."–
Anne Donovan, Orange Prize-shortlisted author of Buddha Da
"Engaging and funny and rich in narrative suspense."–
Abdulrazak Gurnah, Man Booker Prize-shortlisted author of Paradise
"A heady blend of social realism, magic, Middle Eastern folktale and Celtic myth. Leila Aboulela's is a unique and refreshing voice in contemporary Scottish fiction."–
James Robertson, author of The Testament of Gideon Mack