4 out of 4 stars
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Music resonates our feelings. There are many instances when we listen to a song that coincidentally expresses how we feel at that exact moment. It might seem like the singer knows specifically what we're going through at that time. The powerful messages capture our heart, and we develop a strong connection to the artist.
Just like in the book My Trip to Adele the main characters had a connection to the British singer, Adele, because her songs touched their lives in some ways. Each chapter of the book was even entitled after a song from her album, 25. A part of the lyrics was shown at the specific moment when the characters heard or remembered the song which carried messages that were very relative to their situation.
The three protagonists were from different parts of the world. First was Elias, an Italian with Moroccan origin who returned to the old city of Marrakesh to break the magic spell that separated him from his love. Second was Yaser, an oncologist from Las Vegas who's torn between breaking away from his monotonous life and hiding his wishes for the sake of his family. And last was Nadia, a divorced mom from Jordan whose love for her son was greater than any tribe or law. They had different struggles, but they were the same in that Adele's songs made an impact in their lives. And so, they planned to watch Adele on her concert at the Arena di Verona.
I personally enjoyed the book because the characters were very relatable. Though I'm not a lover like Elias, I'm not married like Yaser, and I'm not a mother like Nadia, I strongly empathized with all of them. I was moved by the things that the characters were willing to do for their loved ones even if it meant sacrificing their reputation, happiness and freedom.
Another thing that I enjoyed about the book was the fact that I was introduced to different cultures. In fact, I had to stop reading to search online because I was so intrigued about men dancing dressed as women in Morocco, delayed dowry in Muslim engagement and gunshot weddings in Jordan. Issues in society were also touched like poverty, homelessness, gender inequality, occupational inequality and even fallacies in social media.
The co-authors, siblings Ahmad and Rana Alyaseer, did a wonderful job in making this book a complete package. Their rich writing painted beautiful scenes for the readers to imagine. They successfully developed the characters into flawed but likable personas. Their love for Adele and her songs were reflected in how they made the lyrics and the three separate stories flow as one.
One thing that I was not so keen on was the title and cover. It gave me an impression that the book would be a memoir of Adele's fan who would just share his/her experiences watching Adele’s concerts, but I was wrong. When I read the book, I was easily captivated by the enchanting words that I had forgotten my first impression about it.
For me, this book deserves a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I would gladly recommend it to everyone, Adele fans and not. Even if you’re not familiar with all her music, like me, this book would definitely take you on an emotional journey filled with music and love.
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My Trip to Adele
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