´There are two types of humanitarians, I realized early in this job: those who run away from something, and those who are running toward something´.
I often cover literary events or movies featuring the war in Yemen, but unfortunately there is way too less information, in any other way about the unfolding tragedy happening there. Even less are novels set there, and Guns&Almond Milk by Egyptian-born Mustafa Marwan makes a difference for more than one reason.
Set in the world of humanitarian aid workers, it is set during the most dramatic stages of the confrontations in Yemen. Luke Archer, an Egyptian-born aid worker is part of a mission aimed at offering medical support on the ground, and get caught into a hospital siege set by Western mercenaries. As in the case of any war thriller, the characters, especially Archer, may have lots of things to hide, and the dramatic circumstances he is in, may put him in exactly those situations he was expecting to run away from when he took the assignment in Yemen.
Unique for this book is the humour, dark humour to be more precise, reflected through both the game of words - ´Yemen got Guns´ - but also the situations and the circumstances as such, which at first may make you forget that the reporting is made in the midst of a humanitarian catastrophe. But life is never black and white, and those who really went through such situations they know that on the ground, humour is what saves humanity from its enemies. Marwan himself has an extensive experience in this respect, hence the authenticity of the character voices and the depiction of the ambiance. The different settings of the book are rich in details which gives a good foundation to the story while allowing the plot to develop.
I enjoy reading Guns&Almond Milk for the fast-pace and the story itself. As it is only his debut novel, I would be curious to read Marwan´s next novel(s) as well.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own
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