This is a part of history that I didn’t know about. I always like learning more about different cultures. This was simply, but beautifully written. It was full of emotion and the author got a lot across without the need for excess detail or explanation. I could feel everything this family was going through and I liked the different POVs. It was a quick read and left an impression.

Thank you @roxanatrabulsiwrites @netgalley and @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy

As Yemen tears itself apart in a bid for independence, the lives of family business owners Dara and Silloo Barucha are in upheaval as brutal uneducated Yemenis take over their prosperous business and start looting their family apartment. The survival of the family is now up to wife Silloo and she must step up and guard all that is precious in their fight for survival. Well written and recommended.

Of Mud and Honey covers a history that’s rare to see in mainstream historical fiction— Yemen after independence from Great Britain. Because this is a new topic to many readers, the author has the difficult task of crafting an interesting story while educating.

I did appreciate both the story and the history, and look forward to reading more from this author.

Although this book is categorized as a novel, it is based on the true story of the author’s parents’ lives and ordeal in Yemen during the 1960 and 1970s. Like many expats and those who settled in the country conducting business in Yemen in the 1950s and 1960s, life was good. For the author’s parents Dara and Silloo Barucha, this was the case as well. Dara and Silloo are Parsis - from a group originally from Persia adhering to the Zoroastrian religion, that settled on the Indian subcontinent sometime between the seventh and tenth centuries. Known for their strong business acumen and established business on the subcontinent, Dara’s parents had moved to Yemen years ago to expand the business. With their now adult sons, including Dara, they are well known and respected in the Yemeni community. But the political winds have shifted. With tensions growing within Yemen’s political groups, the struggle for power and nationalistic fervor, the British have decided to exit Yemen earlier, abandoning its promise to help ensure a smooth transition of power. Dara, Silloo, and their extended family are caught in the middle of this struggle between Yemen’s political groups - one to which power was being transitioned to; the other imbued with nationalist fervor and impatient to wrest from those (like Dara and his family) they viewed had become successful at the expense of local Yemenis. This despite the fact that families like Dara’s had worked hard to establish successful businesses, create jobs, and become part of the local Yemeni community. Dara, his brother and others are imprisoned and Silloo and kids and her mother-in-law are put under house arrest. This is their harrowing story. What Dara, Silloo, and their families experienced was terrible - and they had influential network that worked hard to help them. One can only imagine what others who didn’t have their network had to endure. The book exposes the complexities that exist between locals and those who have migrated to those lands and who see themselves as part of the community, but are not necessarily seen as such when “push comes to shove.” This book provides a window into Yemen during the 1960s and 1970s. Sadly, Yemen’s political and humanitarian challenges continue today with warring factions having broken truce in October 2022. I’m also glad this book shared insight and information about the Parsi community and Zoroastrianism - not well known outside small pockets in India and a few countries where Parsis have immigrated. This is a book well worth the time. It was interesting, informative, well written, and has so much “heart.” Dara and Silloo’s fortitude, strength, and resilience shine through. Kudos to the author for capturing their story so well, and for her drive and perseverance to getting this published. I would definitely recommend reading this unique book. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

this was a really well done historical novel, it was so well written and I was invested in the story going on. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their time period. I really had a good time reading this and loved learning about the time going on in here. Roxana Trabulsi has a great writing style and I really enjoyed what I read.

"She was not weak and would not be broken. I am the colonel’s daughter, she said to herself."