Our Own Private Fig Tree
Rania Battany
Reviewed by Helen
I am totally in awe of Rania’s stories she digs deep into her characters feelings and emotions and makes her books the best stories, stories that pull every emotion to the surface, you feel their happiness their sadness everything, what can I say, her books are must reads they are emotional, beautiful and I think this one just might be her best so far. I loved meeting Caleb and Samira and I am sure you will as well.
It is 1988 and in an inner city suburb of Melbourne where a group of teenagers are growing up together they are from different cultural backgrounds and everyone knows the rules of what will happen in their futures, except sixteen year old Australia Caleb and sixteen year old Lebanese Samira break the rules and get very close trying to find alone time is not easy as they need to keep their relationship a secret and there is a huge fig tree that helps them find their time alone. Their love is growing when tragedy rips them apart.
1998 both Caleb and Samira have moved on with their lives but neither have ever forgotten their first love when a chance meeting brings them together again and that love just grows but again cultural rules are still there. Caleb is determined that they do not hide their love this time around but it is so much harder for Samira to change her parents beliefs but her heart is with Caleb and always will be.
This is a beautifully written story, there are some heart-wrenching times and then some gorgeous heart-warming times as Caleb and Samira find their HEA so much happens in this story and MS Battany has pulled it all together in the most beautiful, caring and sensitive way. We get to know not only Caleb and Samira but their families and friends as well and find that cultural differences have caused problems for some of them as well.
I loved this story so very much, it pulls at the heart it made me cry it made me smile, it made me frustrated at the way life is sometimes but I could do nothing but cheer Caleb and Samira on, their love was true and wonderful from the start. I do highly recommend this one, it is awesome and there are so many fabulous characters that I felt so much for as well. Thank you Rania for another awesome story one that will stay with me for a long time to come.
My thanks to the author for my copy to read and review
It is 1988 and in an inner city suburb of Melbourne where a group of teenagers are growing up together they are from different cultural backgrounds and everyone knows the rules of what will happen in their futures, except sixteen year old Australia Caleb and sixteen year old Lebanese Samira break the rules and get very close trying to find alone time is not easy as they need to keep their relationship a secret and there is a huge fig tree that helps them find their time alone. Their love is growing when tragedy rips them apart.
1998 both Caleb and Samira have moved on with their lives but neither have ever forgotten their first love when a chance meeting brings them together again and that love just grows but again cultural rules are still there. Caleb is determined that they do not hide their love this time around but it is so much harder for Samira to change her parents beliefs but her heart is with Caleb and always will be.
This is a beautifully written story, there are some heart-wrenching times and then some gorgeous heart-warming times as Caleb and Samira find their HEA so much happens in this story and MS Battany has pulled it all together in the most beautiful, caring and sensitive way. We get to know not only Caleb and Samira but their families and friends as well and find that cultural differences have caused problems for some of them as well.
I loved this story so very much, it pulls at the heart it made me cry it made me smile, it made me frustrated at the way life is sometimes but I could do nothing but cheer Caleb and Samira on, their love was true and wonderful from the start. I do highly recommend this one, it is awesome and there are so many fabulous characters that I felt so much for as well. Thank you Rania for another awesome story one that will stay with me for a long time to come.
My thanks to the author for my copy to read and review
5 stars
Expected publication: October 14th 2021 by Aquiver Publishing
