Book Review: The Illustrated Boatman's Daughter by Tom Durwood

It’s a historical fiction! And again I am wishing to live in its era, that part where the story is staged against. Do you also get similar cravings while enjoying historical fictions? What’s a book world that you would not want to live in?

The Illustrated Boatman's Daughter by Tom Durwood is an immersive and powerful look into the lives of slave that dug the Suez Canal for outsiders at the cost of going hungry and remaining poor. It is a novel with colorful pictures inside and optimum content in dialogues and narrative. Overall, the presentation of the book is engrossing other than the reading experience, which is nothing less than a riveting experience in itself.

It's about how one woman was able to work within the constraints of the time to change her own life and the people of her nation. The lead character is Salima from Cairo. Along with her friends Emilie and Mikal, they together work for a Dutch company, and are secretly assigned to look after discrepancies occurring in the construction work in the Nile River.

Salima is an obedient industrious but curious young girl from a not-so wealthy family. Living with father, no trace about mother! She breaks free from the monotony of managing barges in the local business by joining Dutch. She learns about slaves, Pasha, bankers, cargo companies, financial and political adversity of her nation Egypt. In the process of her duties, she forms close friendship with the two other characters that remain with her in rain and shine.

The descriptions of the clothes, boats, culture, and river life is detailed and beautiful. From the phrases the characters quoted to the rituals and food, I felt like I was part of this world. It's a medium-paced book, but one that transports you to a world back in time. For sure Tom’s narration captures the allure of historical fiction.

It is always good to read books that are historical fictions and this is bringing a good POV too. A terrific story eked out from history through a young girl’s eyes. I definitely enjoyed the adventure part in it, made me at times scary but also it was mysterious, yet loved the anticipation it gave me.

Buy the novel from Amazon/Kindle

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