Review of 'A Loaf of Bread' by Rana Bitar

A loaf of bread by Rana Bitar is a collection of poems that mirrors the background of the author who lived in Syria during the civil war and experienced great losses.

In this heartrending piece, Rana Bitar highlighted the impact of war on people and gave a vivid account of what it looked and felt like to experience war. From the bombings to the killings, to how young boys were enlisted to fight with guns that were bigger than them, without so much of a choice, and how lives were helplessly wasted.

A loaf of bread piques your interest from the very first poem you read and leaves you curious and asking deep questions, which I was very much impressed by. One line that struck me from this collection was a heartbreaking conversation that ensued between a father and a son. This father was turning pale and was clearly suffering a discomfort which the son noticed and offered to take him to the doctor next door, his father’s heartbreaking reply was:

'In times of war, son do doctors care about indigestion? They are treating gun-shot children, reattaching fingers, and suturing wombs'

This really got me thinking as to how much we take some things for granted in times of peace and how hard it could get to access those things in times of war. This book was both emotional and thought-provoking and if you can pull that off in poetry, I think you have done a great job as the writer.

I liked how the themes correlated with each poem; which made it easy for the reader to have an idea of what to expect. It was also easy to understand the thought pattern of the author, which I applaud the author for.

Also, the vivid descriptions which the author used in this book added to the thrills and chills I felt while reading this book. For example, the following lines brought my imagination to life, that I could almost feel the effect of the act:

“Mother, finally, we are going to eat something other than stones today”

Another element I liked about this book was the brevity of the book as a whole, I liked how the message was easily and concisely passed across.

Also, the author’s good use of punctuations helped to emphasize and stress most points in the poem, which made the poems enjoyable.

This book is such a great and emotional read that I can’t think of anything I dislike about it, and I am not surprised that it made it to several notable publications. A loaf of bread was clearly well edited, and I believe it deserves a 4 out of 4 stars.

A loaf of bread by Rana Bitar is perfect for any reader looking to learn about war and anyone who is open-minded. However, I do not think this book is meant for readers who are under-aged because of the graphic scenes described in it.