Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini
A book review by Mina
Sea Prayer is a short, illustrated story book in response to the current events regarding
refugee crises. It is written from a father to his son in the form of a letter before the beginning of
their journey. The boy’s father reflects on the journal that befalls them and describes Homs,
Syria, before the war into a deadly war zone. This story book is inspired by Alan Kurdi, a
three-year-old Syrian boy, whose body washes up on the beach in September 2015.
Sea Prayer is absolutely beautiful. The message and the impact of the story book
narrative is completely powerful and reminiscent, especially with recent current events. I’ve read
all of Khaled Hosseini’s books, and they’ve all been beautifully written, but I love the narrative
and the format Hosseini chose for Sea Prayer. This book is a different route that Hosseini
typically takes: it’s much shorter than his other publications and it’s illustrated. While short, this
book impactfully shows readers the evil of war, especially for young children who are innocents
within wars. Using a story book narrative makes it almost nostalgic for adults, especially when it
is marketed to adult readers, who grow up with picture books and seeing war illustrated makes
readers understand that war is not escapable for young children. Additionally, the watercolor
illustrations fit well with the narrative; it gives the book a dreamlike quality which contradicts
the horror of the message. While short, I found this to be one of my favorite reads for 2024. It
was short and simple but left a beautiful, lasting impression. It allows readers to truly reflect and
become sensitive to recent events.
Put Sea Prayer on hold today
Books similar to Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini:
● As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
● All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
● A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hossein
