Merle

This book has a fascinating setting: Somalia in the 1980s. The country had a nominally Communist military dictatorship, under attack by rebel forces, and with civilians caught in the middle; this was before Somalia descended into the chaos of today, but we see those later troubles foreshadowed by the events of this book.

The Orchard of Lost Souls follows three main characters: Deqo, an orphan girl raised in a refugee camp, now living on the streets of Hargeisa; Kawsar, a traditional widow, bedridden and grieving for her daughter; and Filsan, a soldier struggling to distinguish herself. The pace is quick and their stories interesting: it isn’t a light read, but it is a fast one. There is a good sense of place, and you’ll learn some things about Somalia without feeling that you’re being taught a history lesson.

Unfortunately, the protagonists themselves are generic and lacking in complexity, defined almost entirely by their circumstances. Deqo is a standard child character, and when she steps out of that mold, it tends to be unconvincing; for instance, when entering an abandoned, luxurious home for the first time, this 9-year-old's first act is to.... wash the dishes? Kawsar is passive, speaking up only at the worst possible moments. Filsan was the character who initially interested me most, as a woman in the military of a traditional patriarchal society, but we don’t see much more of her situation than her annoyance at guys checking her out. And Filsan herself turns out to be a typical insecure and emotional female protagonist, and a bad soldier; her inevitable realizations about the regime are rushed and muddled by an awkward romantic subplot.

For me, then, this book proved mediocre, though it kept my attention while reading; the atrocities the characters witness (particularly one scene in a hospital near the end) are far more memorable than the characters themselves. Fans of popular fiction will likely find much here to appreciate, however. If you like this, you will probably also enjoy Mengiste's Beneath the Lion’s Gaze, and vice versa.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.