In her semi-autobiographical novel, Afghan-American author Fowzia Karimi uses a stylized alphabet to frame the story of a family, father, mother and five sisters after the 1980 invasion of Afghanistan by the Russians. The story constantly switches between before and after as the family manages to escape the terror that follows the invasion and make their way to California. The horrors of war are juxtaposed against the peaceful mundane life in the US broken only by the almost constant petty bickering between sisters. Although the family members are not named, each has their own tale and memories.

Above Us the Milky Way is a beautifully written and powerful story combining the horrors of war, the realities of immigration, family, and memory with fairy tales and word play and interspersed with coloured photographs of the family. It is uncompromising in its portrayal of war and engrossing in its portrayal of family life.This is a stunning book like nothing I have ever read before and I recommend it highly.

Thanks to Edelweiss+ And Deep Vellum Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review ( )