What do readers think of The Sweetness of Tears by Nafisa Haji? Write your own review.

I enjoyed reading this take on the many ways that religion affects our lives and the ways we often struggle with faith and doubt. My one complaint is that there were too many narrators. I had trouble keeping the different voices separate.

Overall, this was a very interesting, beautifully written book. The story was compelling and the cultural perspective was very interesting. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5-- the frequent shifting of 'voice' was at times disruptive to the flow of the story. It was necessary to pause and re-think the family relationships too often. However, even with the flaws, it is a book that I was glad to have read and which I would recommend to friends.

When brown-eyed Jo March discovers that it is genetically impossible for her blue-eyed parents to have produced her and her twin brother, she seeks answers to her true parentage. Thus unfolds a multi-generational and multi-cultural story which is told in the voice of many people and in so doing unfolds layer by layer in a most enjoyable way. In addition to a captivating story, I enjoyed reading about the culture of Pakistan which is central to this book. I was totally engrossed in the story, but was very disappointed when the author conjured up two far fetched coincidences with regards to the Iraqi war. While I share her views on the subject of the war, it was not relevant to the story. Those views could be better served in another book, should she choose to write it. I would hope that these "coincidences" could be handled in the editing. It is for this reason that I rate this book a 4 rather than a 5.

I so wanted to love this book. Combining religions , cultural traditions= , family dynamics.. (very extended family) and world events, this novel had the potential to be a timely portrayal of current issues before us today.

What kept this novel from being great for me was the method of telling the stories. I found it very confusing to go back and forth between characters with no time indicators. Having to stop and re-figure, who, and when broke the fluidity of the story for me.

The book unfolds slowly and caringly and introduces Angela, Sadiq, Jo and Chris, a very unusual extended family. The author adds equally fascinating characters; Uncle Ron, Jake, grandma Faith and my favorite Deena. Nafisa Haji's knowledge and research shines in her descriptions of Pakistan, Iraq, and Southern California. The Glossary is an added bonus.

I felt like I was reading two different writing styles within one cover of a book.The chapters with the voice of Sadiq and Deena; with much of their story taking place in Pakistan were delightful! Those chapters were well written, descriptive, and I loved them. The title "The Sweetness of Tears" was perfect for them. Sadly, much of the rest of the book was just average writing that brought the whole reading experience to a disappointing letdown. I think the author has true talent that we only saw glimpses of in this book.

I really wanted to like this book because I loved her first novel, "The writing on my forehead". I many ways the themes of both books are similar. Both deal with family lies, ties that bind, cultural differences and prejudices and love. My problems with the book were the predictability of the story and the lack of complex depth to the characters. This author clearly has a message to deliver--"don't judge a book by it's cover", but she ends up sacrificing her story (which could have been very interesting) to fit the pieces together.

I was disappointed by this book as the subject matter - Islam and Christianity - are so central to today's geopolitical policies. It was tedious, predictable and a bit disjointed. The characters are briefly introduced and then given a chapter to have their views expressed. I found the device distracting and the prose is full of cliches.