Review of Refugee On a Pendulum

[Merits Anih]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Refugee On a Pendulum" by Jemil Metti.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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It seems like everyone experiences a certain amount of misfortune in life, but when it persists and becomes overwhelming for one person, it's natural to wonder: Why do you always seem to attract trouble? Is there something about you that draws adversity your way, or is it just an unending streak of bad luck?

Sabah Faraj Putrus, though against his best intentions, has always seemed to carry bad luck and misfortune. Right from his finishing years in high school, when he stumbled upon the highly influential parent of his friend, Jalal, trying to bribe their teacher to inflate his grades so that he could meet the cut-off for admission into the medical school of Mosul University, to when he was forcefully made an interpreter by the American military, which made him a traitor to his country, leading to his arrest and torture to becoming a doctor and registering under the Doctors Without Borders, getting posted to work in Al-Salamah Hospital in Syria, and having to fight for the liberation of his one-time patient Hamdia Qubbani. These events, despite how life-threatening and scary they were, didn't deter Sabah from fighting for what he believed in.

I loved how raw, honest, and engaging the book was. I was able to experience the emotions of the characters while reading the book. I don't think there is a name more fitting for this book than that which has already been ascribed to it: "Refugee on a Pendulum." The way Hamdia Qubbani was sent back and forth into danger only because she sought refuge in America was not only painful but also annoying. This book made me understand that our humanity is what ultimately defines us.

If there is to be a king of misfortune, no one deserves that award other than Sabah. I lost count of how many times he got into trouble. Most of the time, even when trouble was on its own, he went looking for it. He associates himself with the wrong people, one of whom is Jalal. The number of times he has helped Sabah out of trouble equals the amount of time he has put Sabah in trouble.

The ending of the book was so funny that I just kept re-reading it. However, the book contains a plot hole. It was stated that Sabah lost his mom at his birth and that Nada was his female cousin, whose parents were late. So how come Nada became his sister and the lady earlier stated as her babysitter is now her mother? I also noticed several errors throughout the book.

"Refugee on a Pendulum" by Jemil Metti is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the human cost of conflict, migration, and the quest for a sense of home. I rate the book 3 out of 5 stars. I removed two stars from the rating because of the negative aspects I mentioned above.

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Refugee On a Pendulum
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[Yasmine Zaki Muhieddine]

"...our humanity is what ultimately defines us", well said! We need to keep our humanity alive. Sabah is probably one of those selfless people, considering he throws himself at anything when he believes it's the right thing to do. At the same time, he seems to be one of those people who don't weight their decisions thoroughly before acting on them. He probably doesn't consider the future consequences of his actions, hence he always get in trouble.

[Enkay Favour]

Refugee on a Pendulum by Jemil Metti is a compelling exploration of misfortune and resilience against the backdrop of conflict and migration. The novel vividly portrays the struggles of Sabah Faraj Putrus, offering an engaging, though sometimes flawed, narrative about the human cost of seeking refuge and a sense of belonging.