It's interesting that Kim Dempster's powerful novel about the civil war in Syria is listed as historical fiction since the novel ends in 2017, when our main characters, a mother and daughter arrive at O'Hare airport and see Trump and Pence's photos on the wall. The Assad Regime finally ended in December 2024, yet the violence and instability remain today, with refugees starving and unable to safely relocate. Dempster's novel gives readers and intimate portrayal of how, in particular, the lives of women have been so harshly, and how they have been viewed as commodities to their oppressors. The novel begins with a father, a doctor, who didn't try to relocate their family when there seemed to be a safe opening for escape, and he is removed from the home, and their college-aged son's campus that was destroyed by missiles, becomes the "man of the house," and finds it impossible to find work to feed his family. Their mother, a journalist, risks her life by keeping her cell phone so she can report to the rest of the world the horrors that are happening, and their young daughter is forced to marry an oppressor. It's a fast-paced novel filled with the horrors of war.

I read once that the hellscapes presented in dystopian novels like Hunger Games, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Divergent weren’t far off from things that actually happened to black and brown bodies in history.

This book, and its deeply traumatic truths, bears witness to that.

It’s our job, as pasty folk, not to look away.

While fiction, The Colour of Mourning weaves together three all-too-real stories of fear and heartbreak and inequality.

I can’t say I loved the story, but I loved the writing, the characters, and the themes of family, endurance, hope, and ending (THE ENDING!) was perfection.

Also: Why doesn’t the author have more of a back catalogue? Ridiculous! lol

An excellent read.
Layal and her loved ones go through the worst a human can experience.
The rest is in the book. Please read it.
Close to 5 stars.
Plot 5/5
Characterisation 4/5
Themes 5/5
Prose 4/5

Thank you for allowing me to read this beautifully written story. I fell in love with the female characters and the courage that they portrayed.

“The Color Of Mourning” by Kim Dempster, is a 292-page fiction book released in February of this year, and the author’s first independently published novel. The paperback has ISBN 979-8310256422 and costs $12.00. 

Inspired by women, Kim Dempster, an intrepid explorer of the Middle East, lives in Iran. This story takes place in the war-torn city of Raqqa, Syria, and centers on Layal Wassef, who is offered a full scholarship to study at the London School of Economics. Her brother Tarek is, however, part of a democracy group, which puts the entire family at risk. As Islamic rebels attack the city, Layal’s doctor father is abducted, and lives and properties are lost. No one allows her access to books or technology. Layal wishes to leave Syria earlier when she has the chance.

However, her situation raises baffling questions. How will she cope with life in such tough times? Will Layal and her family be safe? Will her dreams come true? 

One of my favorite aspects of this novel is the symbolism of the protagonist Layal. She is a symbol of the confines, suffering, and agony of femininity, the life of being a Middle Eastern has been burdened upon her. A witness to the destruction caused by the world’s largest terrorist organization, Layal is a living testament of true resilience and, coupled with her educational interest in International Affairs, makes her worthy of a bright future of being an ambassador of child rights. Her sacrificing her education for the comfort of child marriage, however, takes away her remaining sense of dignity and freedom, leaving her unseen, unheard, and enslaved by society.  

She is, however, lucky to have Nooda, Johanna, and a few other resilient women who share common goals with her. Their black mourning outfits symbolize their ordeal in Syria, which fits the narrative and makes it more realistic. As Layal said to Bejan and her fellow women, after they narrowly avoided persecution and crossed the Syrian border, “You are modern-day Amazons.”

I do not have any negative views in the book. It offers an insight into the oppression faced by Middle Eastern women, the bond of strength and unity among those resisting the oppression, as well as the constant fight for freedom and equality. I find this book insightful and educational, with subtle morals that the readers would appreciate.

I did not find any typographical mistakes or errors. Because of this, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this novel to female readers interested in fiction, history, and war stories. It serves as a beacon to notify of the resilience of feminine characters across the toughest parts of the world and the need for women’s rights to be respected.