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“The Truth about Owls” by Amal El-Mohtar
September-October 2022 Featured Book
The Truth About Owls by Amal El-Mohtar
About the story: “Anisa is a refugee displaced from Lebanon, living in Scotland. She is trying to find her way forward with both the culture she grew up with and the new place she’s immersed in.” Read more in the author’s introduction.
Why Carolyn picked this story to feature:
This selection is a little different for us. It’s a short story that you can find in print, online, or as an audiobook (scroll down for links to access). A friend of mine recently recommended the podcast “LeVar Burton Reads,” and it didn’t disappoint. LeVar Burton—yes, THE LeVar Burton, from Roots, Reading Rainbow, and Star Trek—says “Every episode, I hand pick a different piece of short fiction and I read it to you. The only thing that these stories have in common is that I love them, and I hope you will too.”
I really enjoyed this story, in part because LeVar read it to me! I loved the way this story jumps between Anisa’s present and past, and between the owl she is becoming closer to and the Welsh folklore she’s learning.
It’s always important to remember that when we’re meeting someone new, we’re just seeing their surface—there is so much more that makes up their life. I also love how this author reminds us that people all over the world connect with birds.
A quick note: Some of the owl information presented is cultural belief, or related to how the characters feel about owls as well as how they connect to them. Also, at the end of the podcast, LeVar Burton mentions falconry. People have a lot of opinions about falconry—he’s just sharing his. It’s okay if you disagree.
Quotes we love:
“Anisa flushes. She looks at the owl again. She has never seen a barn owl up close, and does not think it looks like flowers; she thinks, all at the same time, that the heart-shaped face is alien and eerie and beautiful and like when you can see the moon while the sun is setting, and that there should be a single word for the color of the wings that’s like the sheen of a pearl but not the pearl itself.”
“Anisa has started teaching herself Welsh, mostly because she wants to know how all the names in the Mabinogion are pronounced. She likes that there is a language that looks like English but sounds like Arabic; she likes that there is no one teaching it to her, or commenting on her accent, or asking her how to speak it for their amusement.”
LISTEN ON LEVAR BURTON READS: Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you find podcasts
READ ONLINE: Republished on Strange Horizons
READ IN PRINT: Kaleidescope: Diverse YA Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories
Other Resources:
Amal El-Mohtar’s website: amalelmohtar.com
Bookshelf Artwork by Green Sparrow Arts
