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Type Eighteen Books (Publisher)
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Genre: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Adult Fiction
Pages: 270
ISBN: 9798987830925
ASIN: B0CH4HWZVM
Format: Paperback, ebook (Kindle, Kobo, Nook)
Publication date: November 1st, 2023
Publisher: Type Eighteen Books
Type: Book, Novel
Huge thanks to Edelweiss+ and Type Eighteen Books a digital ARC of this book. I offer this review willingly and without any compensation whatsoever.
Introduction
I remember browsing the Edelweiss+ menu and stumbling across this gorgeous and intriguing cover. I love foreign cultures, so this called out to me immediately! Also, as I read the blurb, and it spoke of people living in Mongolia and the Gobi Desert, I just had to request it. Finally, a reading trip somewhere I hadn't explored before! With a culture and people new to me. Surely, this would be a magnificent read. And was it?
In fact, not only was it, but it greatly exceeded my expectations!
Want to know why? Read on, loves!
The Blurb
The enthralling story of three unforgettable young adults living on the cusp of great change in early 20th-century Mongolia. A captivating, beautiful saga from debut novelist Erin Jamieson about having dreams, finding love, and learning to survive in a harsh, ever-changing place.
In the winter of 1917, Bolormaa is introduced to the man she is to marry on her eighteenth birthday, over mutton stew and steaming buuz. She has spent her entire life in the Gobi Desert, living a nomadic life with her family, always moving with their animals in search of grazing lands. Reading about other places in a tent school, she dreamed of another sort of life. But now, her education is finished, and her future seems to be laid out before her like the colorful rugs in the family’s ger.
Ganbaatar grew up under the vast, blue-gray, Mongolian sky, the protective arm of his mother, and the withering gaze of his father. He has been a good son and a steady hand, working on the land with the herds, often feeling that he was meant for something different—if only he had the courage to reach for it.
When Aisin’s parents die, she leaves her siblings and everything she knows in China to live with her uncle in Mongolia. She’s unprepared for the level of prejudice she’ll face because of her heritage, but her bravery and stubbornness form a shield she readily dons. An accomplished horse rider and rare beauty, she works alongside her uncle and forges a path as a single woman during a challenging era.
A sweeping novel of historical fiction, Sky of Ashes, Land of Dreams follows these characters through the tumultuous decades following the October Revolution and outbreak of the Russian Civil War, and the Chinese occupation of Mongolia and rise of the Mongolian People’s Party, under whose leadership their nomadic way of life undergoes significant changes. Bound together in a unique love triangle that will span their lives, Bolormaa, Ganbaatar, and Aisin face these changes with courage and sometimes, with fear, and their journey of self-discovery and self-determination amidst the challenges and brutalities of life is an extraordinary tale of hope, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit.
The Positive Points
Oh, what an intriguing beginning! It mentions the visitors are rare, and in such an even farther away location there is a visitor in the Gobi Desert, her suitor, which is curious but makes him serious about a potential proposal. The author uses good action and visual verbs, such as “a sharp wind curls into the ger”. It’s full of imagery and cuts to the chase.
I love how Bolormaa thinks she is plain, and is aptly described as such in appearance. It’s different from most heroines who are either stunning, pretty, or said to be plain, but their description says otherwise. Plus, I love her adornments and Mongolian clothes. The fact that the author uses Mongolian words like ger and airag and a few others make it even lovelier, more accessible and immersive. We don’t read about Mongolia often enough, so yes please! The mentions of traditions and descriptions such as the first haircut which indicates a boy becoming a man delight me!
Aawwwwwwwww, Ganbaatar’s description of how he wants to love his wife is sooooo romantic! If only he’d kept to his word fully…
One aspect I love is that we have several POVs throughout the book. We got to know Bolormaa and Ganbaatar well, and three chapters from Aisin’s POV (I wish we’d had more because she is interesting), and in the last pages, Gerel’s POV, their daughter, and Quatan’s POV, their son. It shows the evolution of the characters and the passage of time. I am very fond of this writing choice!
Moreover, this is such a precious book! We don’t have enough Mongolian YA fiction, or Mongolian fiction at all. We need more, and this one is an immersive and impressive stepping stone!!!!
Also, I love that it’s so realistic it hurts; there are no elements of “fairy tale” found in books where it’s bad and then gets so much better… nope, it’s like life can be sometimes: it goes from bad to worse, and sometimes in-between it gets awfully bad. And there are status quos as well and a few joys. It’s the book most similar to life I have ever read, and it’s beautiful in its broken, humane way. Up until the very end.
Bolormaa grabs Gerel’s hand, swallows hard, and then does the only brave thing in her life—something brave and cowardly at the same time.
She and her daughter run, leaving Aisin behind in the ger where the heat is building from the encroaching flames.
(p. 165, Sky of Ashes, Land of Dreams)
I have never read such a more realist story. It is wonderful, as it is sometimes painful to read. But that’s exactly part of its charm and why I love it so much.
Another fascinating point is that it really follows History what with the Soviet Union’s invasion, and the racism between Mongolians and Chinese. It is well done and, while unfortunate and sad, it is realistic and true. We also get to see the Mongolian independence as well, but the subtleties about the slowness of real changes are interesting.
The ending and where they are now in life and relationships has kind of been foretold in previous chapters what with Bolormaa’s dream, but it has not taken a necessarily positive turn… like so often in life, it can be disappointing. Or at the very least, not like we first imagined it to be.
One of my favourite things is that I learned from this book a few Mongolian traditions, and elements of their culture and history. It was a delight and helped me develop an interest in Mongolian language and culture. Here are a few videos I watched to get to know them better:
WIKITONGUES: Khulan speaking Mongolian
Mongolian language: Saying Hello (Easy & Practical Ways)
Also, there is always some kind of conflict, whether it’s personal, interpersonal, or environmental! It’s never boring, even though it recounts ordinary life for Mongolians in the Gobi Desert and Ulaanbaatar. Sometimes, events we witness or experience can shape us in different ways; sometimes it traumatizes us and other times it gives us a purpose. I love that this book explores this topic in depth and with a gentle but firm and true hand.
I found a certain scene to be quite memorable and well-written: When Bolormaa and Ganbaatar, young, are sharing their dreams in the evening outside her ger under the starry sky. It was beautiful, candid, and hopeful
Lastly, this book is a treasure what with going to the metaphorical end of this family, which is in some way a new beginning too. It encompasses everything from the parents’ marriage to one of them crossing the threshold. It’s beautiful, poignant and true. It resounds in one's feelings and emotions, and I cannot stress enough how the reading of Sky of Ashes, Land of Dreams is worth it on an emotional and cultural level!
The Negative Points
There aren’t negative points, unless you’re afraid of feels or dislike them during your reading. If so, this book is not for you.
There is a point I’d like to tackle, though: there is a situation of adultery, and it made me uncomfortable. So, if you consider adultery as a trigger warning, be aware there is no depiction of it, only subtle mentions.
In Conclusion
I will repeat it again: Sky of Ashes, Land of Dreams by Erin Jamieson is a real gem, and a story we need more of the likes! For this reason, and the sheer joy and feels I had while reading this book, which I kept telling my surrounding about ALL THE TIME, I give it a rating of 5 out of 5 stars! If I could give it 6 out of 5 stars, I would do it, but hey, we’ll stick with 5 being the best rating ever!
If you want to learn more about Erin Jamieson, you can visit Type Eighteen Books' authors page. If you want to read more from Erin Jamieson, you can visit her Goodreads page. Don't forget to add Sky of Ashes, Land of Dreams to your Goodreads bookshelves!
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