Book Review: Salt Houses by Hala Alyan

📖 Quick Summary

Salt Houses by Hala Alyan is a sweeping multigenerational novel that follows the Yacoub family through more than five decades of upheaval, migration, and resilience. From the Six-Day War in 1967 to the Gulf War and beyond, the Yacoubs—originally from Jaffa—are forced to adapt, flee, and rebuild across cities like Nablus, Kuwait City, Beirut, Paris, and Boston.

Each chapter is told from a different family member’s perspective, giving the novel a rich, polyphonic voice. It’s a portrait not just of one family, but of the entire Palestinian diaspora—of homes lost, rebuilt, and remembered. With poetic prose and aching insight, Alyan explores how exile changes people, how silence lingers in families, and how identity is both inherited and reshaped.

📝 My Review

This year, I decided to learn more about Middle Eastern diaspora, especially Palestine area. This was an unforgettable reading experience. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars because it didn’t just tell a story—it invited me to feel history, longing, and displacement in an intimate, grounded way.

What stood out most was how Alyan masterfully conveys the emotional complexity of generational trauma without ever losing the tender, quiet moments between family members. The writing is lyrical and emotionally precise, the kind that lingers long after you’ve turned the final page. Every character—whether they are mother, sister, son, or wanderer—feels like a fully formed soul carrying the weight of personal and collective memory.

This is a story about memory that doesn’t lecture. It mourns what was lost while celebrating what continues: love, identity, survival, and stories passed down like heirlooms.

🎨 My Scrapbook Spread

The spread I created for Salt Houses feels like a map of memory. I used Middle Eastern patterns—sand, and olive green—with images of specific scenes in the book that were memorable to me.

🎥 Watch the Review

Want to see how I translated this story into a creative journaling layout? Check out the full spread here, where I share quotes, reflections, and a walk-through of my scrapbook page.

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