Full of powerful writing and crushing violence that reflects the reality Kurds face every day, this novel is also a literary event that merits attention ... an evocative and brutally honest chronicle ... Homa is a talented storyteller who uses multilayered characters to present the struggles of many people—and she doesn’t mince words, especially when it comes to the way Kurdish women are treated ... At once a feminist text, a story of survival in the face of adversity and an exploration of cruelty through the eyes of those who are powerless, Daughters of Smoke and Fire is a superb narrative that marks the arrival of a new voice in contemporary fiction.
... a searing, heart rending, and heart breaking tale ... While this book is about a Kurdish family in Iran, the story could be about any minority living under the rule of an oppressive majority demanding their assimilation. Homa has created a story that's both personal and universal in its scope. Daughters of Smoke and Fire might break your heart, but its also a book of sublime beauty that will engrave itself into your memory for years to come.
... [a] stark and elucidating debut novel ... Homa’s remarkable novel serves as a potent and illuminating window into the persecution of the Kurds, which has existed for decades and continues unabated today.
Ava Homa tells an extraordinary story ... She writes with such authenticity that her ambition, rage and struggle seem visible in Leila’s own ... the novel turns from a coming-of-age story into a page-turning thriller ... The power of Daughters of Smoke and Fire lies in its unpredictability and absence of good-evil stereotypes. The men are not all predators, nor the women all victims. All characters, including the Kurdish ones, are complex and flawed ... Leila’s fervour is occasionally melodramatic ... a gripping and enlightening read, and Ava Homa’s voice is one that needs to be heard.
Homa’s debut novel is a coming-of-age story that layers intergenerational trauma and political commentary on a decades-long epic. Homa’s attention to gender is particularly clear throughout Leila’s path to adulthood ... Her portrait of Kurdish life in Iran brings readers closer to lived experiences that force questions of identity, homeland, and the traumas we inherit.
