Relationships as fragile as apple blossom grow from hearts as wounded as the small cramped fruit of an untended tree, needing space to mend, in this tale of lands and cultures separated by history and bound by inability to heal. The story is beautifully told and deeply rooted in the orchards of Empire, Michigan. The language is couched in the complex points of view of disparate characters and the heart-rending poetry of a warrior’s soul. Together with senses, growth and seasons, it all combines to make one truly beautiful novel that holds you tight and won’t let go.

Nobody’s perfect in this tale—some are maybe more imperfect than others, while many hide past sins and love all painted a different shade. Nobody’s evil, though there are deep mistakes behind each of us. Nobody’s totally true or totally false to themselves or to those they love. But two wounded protagonists—Christian man and Muslim woman—struggle through it all to find a sense of self, of a self worth believing in.

With much to heal and much to learn; with seasons of growth and nurture and harvest to come; with occupier maybe occupied, and landowner only leasing what belongs to the land itself; the place called Empire has a tale to tell, and these are its characters.

I love the poems and the poetry of this novel. I love the deep sense that these people are real (at least, real to me). I love the parts where I can relate and the parts where I can learn. And I love the seasons of the soul. The Occupation of Zaima tells an unpredictably beautiful tale, well-nurtured, splashed with coincidence’s cruel caprice like rainstorms in spring, and filled with the scents that cross cultures, the beauty of nature, and the sideways remembrance of heaven. It’s a truly haunting, captivating, sensual and powerful read.

Disclosure: I was given a preview edition and I offer my honest review. I honestly love it! ( )