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Title/Author

She’s Like a Rainbow

Eileen Colucci

Average Review Rating Average Rating 9/10 (1 Review)
Book Details

Publisher : CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Published : 2016

Copyright : Eileen Colucci 2016

ISBN-10 : PB 1-5334-4727-6
ISBN-13 : PB 978-1-5334-4727-2

Publisher's Write-Up

“The summer I turned ten, my life took a fairy tale turn.” So begins Reema Ben Ghazi’s tale set in Morocco. Reema awakes one morning to find her skin has changed from whipped cream to dark chocolate. From then on, every few years she undergoes another metamorphosis, her colour changing successively to red, yellow and ultimately brown.

What is the cause of this strange condition and is there a cure? Does the legend of the White Buffalo have anything to do with it? As Reema struggles to find answers to these questions, she confronts the reactions of the people around her, including her strict and unsympathetic mother, Lalla Jamila; her timid younger sister, Zakia; and her two best friends, Batoul and Khalil. At the same time, she must deal with the trials of adolescence even as her friendship with Khalil turns to first love.

One day, in her search for answers, Reema discovers a shocking secret – she may have been adopted at birth. As a result, Reema embarks on a quest to find her birth mother that takes her from twentieth-century Rabat to post-9/11 New York. Reema’s humanity shines through her story, reminding us of all we have in common regardless of our particular cultural heritage.

She’s Like a Rainbow, which will appeal to Teens as well as Adults, raises intriguing questions about identity and ethnicity.

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Reader Reviews

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Review by Molly Martin (310118) Rating (9/10)

Review by Molly Martin
Book Source: Not Known
Rating 9/10

Eileen Colucci’s She’s Like a Rainbow introduces Reema Ben Ghazi who relates, “The summer I turned ten, my life took a fairy tale turn.”

The narrative set in Morocco reveals Reema is startled one morning when she discovers her skin is no longer pretty white, now it is a pretty dark chocolate.

Reema does not understand what can be causing her unusual condition and wonders if there might be a cure. Reema hopes her distant mother, who has darker skin tone, will become more caring and is saddened that this proves to not be the case. In a household and society where much of the populous has darker skin tone than does Reema; she had thought it was her light skin causing her mother to seem distant and uncaring.

Reema commences a many years long quest; she searches for whys and wherefores vis-à-vis the fluctuating colouring of her skin. Her resolve to determine the root and a remedy for what she believes to be an ailment finally leads Reema to a health centre where a nurse suggests that Reema’s complaint may be genomic. Now Reema is indeed confused, how could the ailment be genetic; no one in her family has such a disorder.

The responses of the people around Reema, including her severe; non nurturant mother, Lalla Jamila; her diffident younger sister, Zakia; in addition to her two closest friends, Batoul and Khalil as her skin tone continues modification every few years from dark chocolate to red, yellow and finally brown is compared to the emotive disquiet, self-doubt and torment as seems to plague all teens.

I enjoyed Writer Colucci’s She’s Like a Rainbow presenting stimulating philosophies concerning background and individuality. As Colucci interlaces a subtle account sure to intrigue readers who may have yearning to know more of their individual, personal story including characteristics, ethnicity, and heritage as they too come to consciousness that it is in our differences that we initiate understanding that what essentially seems to forge the insightfulness for and leads to the perspicacity that it is our humanness that in due course brings the understanding that we share brotherhood whatever our ethnicity, cultural differences, or where in the world we may live.

I found She’s Like a Rainbow to be a well penned chronicle complete with a fine interpretation of Moroccan society woven around a young Moroccan woman. As she re-joins to her roots, Reema’s story set against a back drop of intriguing surroundings, thought-provoking plot spirals and turns, fully fleshed players and even an entwining of The American Native story of the White Buffalo delivers thought provoking perception and insights.

Acknowledgement that we, the populous, existing here in the United States are an amalgamation of many races, views, philosophies is one of the rudimentary canons of our society. Uncertainties, queries and anxiety grows into comprehension as we apprehend these qualities also define virtually everyone on earth. Most of us, whatever our ethnic group, upbringing or culture, are the creation of varied ancestry.

This is an account set in Morocco and New York concerning family, prejudgment and acceptance. Reema’s single-minded pursuit for resolution leads to some astounding responses apropos her mother’s indifference and discloses an unanticipated web of falsification besides serving as substance for Reema’s individual growth of self-awareness pertaining to the person she truly is.

I enjoyed learning something of Morocco and Moroccan culture. Writer Colucci adds first-rate particulars regarding a country, people and culture, I suspect few of us living here in the United States little understand. Happy to recommend.
Molly Martin (31st January 2018)

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