Review of Sketches from the Periphery
Posted: 21 Nov 2024, 21:38
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sketches from the Periphery" by MP Summers.]
Sketches from the Periphery by MP Summers is a historical fiction book that takes place during the Darfur Conflict in Sudan in 2006. The story follows Alexander Barr, a young American man who embarks on a mission to find his purpose in life in one way or another. As he questions what he is meant to do on this planet, he finds himself working as a work order clerk in Sudan and meets several people along the way, including the amorous and bright journalist Cassandra. As the story progresses, he learns more about the people of Sudan and the intricacies of the war that rages around him.
This book is very intriguing! I initially expected this book to only discuss war and its bloody, gory details; however, the author pleasantly took me by surprise. The story speaks about the morality of war, the fine line between good and evil, and many more ethical struggles such as these, and I think that this really sets this book apart from other books centered around war. It is very clear to read that the author is very passionate about the ethics of war, as there are several discussions about the topic in various forms, including that of Francisco de Carvajal (an instrumental man in the conquest of Peru from the Incas) and the war that ravaged Romania. I also particularly enjoyed having the translations for the many Arabic phrases used throughout the story, as I felt that the inclusion of these phrases really portrayed the authenticity of the story as well as Alex’s genuineness in getting to know his teammates.
While I enjoyed reading about the different aspects of war, this ended up being what I disliked about the book. The author’s passion for the topic is very clear and brings enthusiasm; however, I felt that these long discussions about war, the intricacies of what may or may not work for the Darfur Conflict, and other such commentaries took away from the overall enjoyment of the book. These topics were understandably the underlying theme of the book, but it would have been nice to have them more interspersed throughout the book instead of having them laid out in long runs of paragraphs. Despite these long runs of commentary, the author was still able to progress the plot along in a well-timed fashion, and thus, this was not heavy enough of a dislike to deduct points.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this book. It was a refreshing read and provided a lot of insight into heavy topics that I may not have engaged in otherwise. In fact, I felt that I learned quite a bit about history from reading this book! I would thus rate this book a 4 out of 5 with points deducted for lack of professional editing. There is profanity and sexual content in this book, as well as several descriptions of violence. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good historical fiction book with social commentary on the Darfur Conflict.
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Sketches from the Periphery
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Sketches from the Periphery by MP Summers is a historical fiction book that takes place during the Darfur Conflict in Sudan in 2006. The story follows Alexander Barr, a young American man who embarks on a mission to find his purpose in life in one way or another. As he questions what he is meant to do on this planet, he finds himself working as a work order clerk in Sudan and meets several people along the way, including the amorous and bright journalist Cassandra. As the story progresses, he learns more about the people of Sudan and the intricacies of the war that rages around him.
This book is very intriguing! I initially expected this book to only discuss war and its bloody, gory details; however, the author pleasantly took me by surprise. The story speaks about the morality of war, the fine line between good and evil, and many more ethical struggles such as these, and I think that this really sets this book apart from other books centered around war. It is very clear to read that the author is very passionate about the ethics of war, as there are several discussions about the topic in various forms, including that of Francisco de Carvajal (an instrumental man in the conquest of Peru from the Incas) and the war that ravaged Romania. I also particularly enjoyed having the translations for the many Arabic phrases used throughout the story, as I felt that the inclusion of these phrases really portrayed the authenticity of the story as well as Alex’s genuineness in getting to know his teammates.
While I enjoyed reading about the different aspects of war, this ended up being what I disliked about the book. The author’s passion for the topic is very clear and brings enthusiasm; however, I felt that these long discussions about war, the intricacies of what may or may not work for the Darfur Conflict, and other such commentaries took away from the overall enjoyment of the book. These topics were understandably the underlying theme of the book, but it would have been nice to have them more interspersed throughout the book instead of having them laid out in long runs of paragraphs. Despite these long runs of commentary, the author was still able to progress the plot along in a well-timed fashion, and thus, this was not heavy enough of a dislike to deduct points.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this book. It was a refreshing read and provided a lot of insight into heavy topics that I may not have engaged in otherwise. In fact, I felt that I learned quite a bit about history from reading this book! I would thus rate this book a 4 out of 5 with points deducted for lack of professional editing. There is profanity and sexual content in this book, as well as several descriptions of violence. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good historical fiction book with social commentary on the Darfur Conflict.
******
Sketches from the Periphery
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon