US Republican nominee for president Donald Trump fears that Syrian refugees might pose threats to his country’s national security. But there is one Kurdish writer who proves him wrong. In a recently-published book, Sirwan Kajjo, a refugee himself, demonstrates the potential newcomers have in contributing to America’s diversity.
His coming-of-age novel, Nothing But Soot, published by CreateSpace Publishing Platform, narrates the story of a young Kurdish man who made it to America as UN-sponsored refugee. It is an autobiographical novel that combines fiction and reality in a splendid literary style.
Kajjo, 29, admits that this is his own story, but he also says that it is the story of many Syrian and Kurdish refugees who have come to America with big hopes and high potential.
Kajjo, now a proud US citizen, has written a book that discusses just about everything that is relevant in our current coffee shop conversations: immigration, life in America, identity politics in the Middle East, sex and religion.
He carefully touches upon areas that many writers do not dare broach. He writes about life in America from his perspective – through the lens of Kawa, his controversial protagonist.
Though written from a Kurdish refugee perspective, Nothing But Soot is a multidimensional novel that readers from different backgrounds can relate to.
Kawa lives his life like any other millennial in America. Deep inside, however, he suffers from a severe identity crisis. As a Kurdish Syrian living in America, his identity is already complicated. But Kawa also has his own issues that add to the complexity.
The city of Washington offers Kawa multiple opportunities to lead an interesting life as a single young man and his passion for politics makes it easy for Kawa to love his new home. Yet he is challenged to nurture his own passions – sex being a major one. His strong lust for sex forces him to take adventurous routes.
Kajjo succeeds in showcasing an American life that is different from what the world knows about the US through Hollywood. He casually captures scenes of American life that you do not normally pay attention to, but their significance increases when they are observed by a young man who is adapting himself to a new homeland.
Kajjo also introduces his American readers to life back home, in Syria. As a Kurd, he narrates in detail life under an Arab dictatorship. He meticulously illustrates the nuances of life in a country where Kurdish identity is suppressed.
The name of the protagonist, Kawa, symbolizes emancipation from tyranny. It is also a vehicle for the writer to delve into stories related to Kurds and their troubled history.
Though set in Washington, the novel also takes its readers back to Syria and Lebanon, where the writer spent his early years. The passages set in Syria and Lebanon, therefore, are told with passion and nostalgia. But Kajjo also uncovers the flaws Middle Eastern societies – particularly his own – are afflicted with.
Nothing But Soot was picked this year as a finalist at the Beverly Hills Book Awards. This easy-to-read novel continues to draw intention inside America and abroad.
