I celebrate the last day of my book tour with two reviews of Saffron Dreams that have arrived in the past few days. 2 Kids and Tired book blog offered this review of the novel.

“Fascinating. A fictionalized story, written as a memoir. Arissa’s story is told first-person through flashbacks and present day. A beautifully descriptive novel: full of color and flavor. A fascinating tale of love and loss, tragedy and triumph, and following your dreams even when they take you on an unexpected journey.”
Read full review online

Another one is from the Review From Here book blog:

“I had a hard time putting this book down. Shaila Abdullah’s “Saffron Dreams” is a book that will tug at your heartstrings and won’t let go. This is one of the most poignant books that I have read.”
Read full review online

And now a word of thanks to all the individuals who followed me on this month-long tour and provided comments, feedback, tips, and messages. It is because of all of you that time and again, I feel compelled to pick up my pen and do what I do. I am deeply grateful to the wonderful network of book bloggers who hosted me on their blogs this month. You are doing a great service to authors. Please keep it up.

Take a few minutes to read my interview at Fiction Scribe.

Nancy Williams of Book Tiger book blogger offered this review of Saffron Dreams:

“Saffron Dreams is a wonderfully uplifting story of struggle and survival, and yet another necessary work of fiction. It is one of the reasons that fiction is so powerful.”

It is official.

Swapna Krishna of S. Krishna Books is the well-kept secret of the book review world. I was blown away by her review of Saffron Dreams and the depth of her plot and character analysis. When I read her review, I experienced one of those “Aha” moments that is every author’s dream. It’s when a reader truly get the book.

I didn’t want to pick and choose an excerpt, so I am including it here in its entirety.

“When I first heard about Saffron Dreams, I was really intrigued. The story of a Muslim woman who lost her husband in the World Trade Center attacks seemed compelling and timely. Indeed, after reading the book, I am moved at how beautifully and tenderly Ms. Abdullah handled a controversial subject and made the book about our common humanity, rather than about the differences that divide us.

What really struck me about Saffron Dreams is that the 9/11 attacks aren’t the only serious subject addressed in this small novel. Abdullah manages to talk about racism, fundamentalism, widowhood, culture clashes, and the challenges of raising a child with disabilities within its pages. With all those weighty topics, you would think the book would be a heavy read, but surprisingly, it isn’t. Instead, it’s an honest look at the life of a woman trying to live a normal life while chaos is reigning around her.

Despite the seeming lack of hope in Saffron Dreams‘ premise, the book is full of wonder. The novel is never depressing; even in the darkest times, Arissa never seems to lose that hope that the future will be a brighter, happier place. That feeling permeates the novel, leaving the reader with a sense of optimism after the last pages are turned.

Abdullah’s writing is crisp, sharp and clear. She does not mince words; her writing is very precise, each word chosen carefully. Her words have a way of conveying raw emotion; because they are so stark, the feelings are so much more clear and powerful on the page. It’s a wonderful writing style for a novel such as this.

In the end, the message I took away from the novel is that what we, as citizens of this earth, have in common is much greater than all those differences than set us apart from one another. We must look to our common humanity to bring us together. This is a message full of hope and love, much like Saffron Dreams itself.

I thoroughly enjoyed Saffron Dreams and recommend it to anyone interested in multicultural fiction – it’s a great read and you won’t be disappointed. I am eager to pick up Shaila Abdullah’s book of short stories, Beyond the Cayenne Wall.”
Read online

I also shared some publishing secrets with Book Publication Secrets of Authors. Take a look.