Delightful days in Marjella

by Randa Hamwi Duwaji

Writing children’s book is serious business. Randa Hamwi Duwaji takes her efforts very seriously and produces a graceful and elegant compendium of short stories for children, the seriousness of the endeavor softened by the humor and the candor. Neither of these elements suffers compromise by talking down to the young mind, and the honesty of the approach and the respect for the child make Delightful Days In Marjella unusually attractive. Whether witnessing the pranks of the children, Fadi and Sana; twins in cheerful conspiracy, with Bassima their mother, and father Yusuf -a fine man; strong yet gentle- whether planning a picnic, a chase with Grandpa behind the wheel, or a surprise, the author projects the warmth and animation of a Mid-eastern family; their triumphs, their daily veins of happiness and the occasional rain-cloud that washes out hope and then replenishes it again with fresh excitements. The town they live in, Marj-el-amal, literally the ‘ Meadow of Hope,’ reflects the fami