An absolute gem. Fatin Abbas did an outstanding job of depicting Sudanese life in the brutal heat of civil war and in the mundane moments of peace alike: the warmth of community, the pernicious bigotry, the generosity, the corrupt authorities, the beautiful amalgam of different cultures, and the repulsive prejudices that continue to govern many Sudanese people's judgment. I loved how the multiple narratives converged to offer a comprehensive take on the struggle in war-torn Saraaya.

However, something had been bothering me which was, although neither a fatal historical inconsistency nor very significant to the plot, it recurred enough that it was rather difficult not to take into consideration: although the story takes place from late 2001 and a little after the signing of the Machakos Protocol, roughly in mid-2002, the value of Sudanese pound seemed to correspond more to its deteriorating state after recent (and sadly ongoing) inflation following the coup in 2019 almost two decades after the event. I almost fell off my chair while reading the part where a character was trying to sell a bra for 700 SDG in 2002. Again, might not be important, but it irked me all the same.

In short, Ghost Season is a powerful and eye-opening tale about finding strength in most hopeless situation. I recommend to anyone looking for a self-discovery journey complete with a history lesson and wonderful prose.