Review Guns & Almond Milk

Updated: May 3

by Mustafa Marwan

Cover Art & Design by Alexandra Zeigler

Published by Interlink Books

an Imprint of Interlink Publishing Group, Inc.

When I saw this cover I HAD to know more about the book. Immediately.

Cover artists & designers never get enough praise or visibility, or even names, sometimes. Let's help get their names into the universe, everyone & make sure HUMAN creators can keep doing their thing!!

The unusual combination of images on this cover is simple but bold & the style, definitely attention-grabbing.

Excellent, Alexandra Zeigler!

It sent my mind right back to my 23 months overseas, years ago. This book is based in Yemen. I was based in Croatia & parts of Bosnia during the atrocities. The locals called it the Noisy Time.

My already-keen interest in this book more than quadrupled after learning that author, Mustafa Marwan has more than a decade of humanitarian experience in over a dozen conflict zones around the world - including most Arab Spring countries at the highs & lows of their uprisings.

*After years saving the lives of others, Luke needs to face the demons of his past in order to save his own*

This is such a hard-hitting story & every word earned its place. There's no fluff or filler clogging the pages. Just multiple layers of life & its endless levels of stress & challenges that morph into shape from early childhood & never end.

We are treated to such a rich cast of characters in this work of fiction - I have a strong feeling the author has skilfully woven in threads of many former colleagues & actual acquaintances to create such complex personalities. We feel like we know them, instantly.

It's fascinating how a person's own past can revisit like a living nightmare but Luke also has some extra challenges thrown into the mix, including his own cultural identity.

In the multi-national humanitarian work environment, diversity & differences can be advantageous but also create friction - not ideal when you're all there to bring aid, medical help & provide safety whilst surrounded by clashing groups, danger & violence.

The daily basic comforts & necessities are a distant memory but somehow things have to go on.

The fast-paced, scary real-life style of this book kept me reading but also transported me back to my own (smaller scale) experiences. With twists everywhere, Luke/Adam had such a struggle - living with his parallel lives, past & present & worlds of opposite extremes, violence & death.