From Booklist
Sallis' second and third novels, previously published in Australia, breathe vibrant life into the immigrant experience, and the powerful yet invisible ties of family.
The City of Sea Lions traces the journey of Lian, daughter of a Vietnamese mother and Australian father, to Yemen, where she goes both to study Arabic and to escape her mother. There Lian sees herself as "the demo Australian. Quaint. . . . Opinionated," while at the same time immersing herself in Yemeni culture. In vivid and kaleidoscopic prose, Sallis adroitly weaves Lian's dreams, memories, and the local fables she hears with the exotic present of her new life.
Mahjar, which refers collectively to all lands of Arab migration, is a novel-in--stories of a group of Lebanese refugees in Australia (where Sallis lives with her Lebanese husband.) The 15 connected stories overflow with the rich details of the culture shock felt by the first generation and their constant conflict with their children, who are adapting all too quickly to Australia's lifestyle, abandoning the traditions their parents hold sacred. Together these two novels introduce a refreshing and innovative author, already acclaimed in Australia, to American readers.
Deborah DonovanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Kirkus Reviews
"Fifteen elegant tales about the Arab émigré experience."
