When Her Hand Moves

by Omar Imady

When Her Hand Moves is a lyrical symphony of three captivating The Passion of Sidra, The Seduction of Jude and The Rage of Fatima. Literary fiction that combines the sensual and the sacred, the intellectual and the imaginary, the divine and the dangerous. Three stories come together with the light touch of magical realism, to examine, interrogate, and challenge our understanding of universal truths and spirituality. An English nurse becomes possessed with unraveling the mystery behind the disappearance of a Syrian woman in the twilight town of King's Lynn, stumbling along the way upon a history and present replete with magic and mysticism. A Syrian professor escapes Damascus only to find himself in another surreal and dangerous setting, uncovering a conspiracy that places his life in even greater peril. An Oxford scholar and an eccentric Syrian journalist embark on an adventure through Portugal and Spain, seeking to decipher an ancient manuscript and uncover a religious conspiracy with explosive personal and universal implications.

514 pages, Paperback

Published April 26, 2022

About the author

Omar Imady is an uncommon collection of many things – poet, historian, novelist, Syrian, American, exile, Sufi, ‘Alan Wattsian’, cat lover, avid coffee drinker, insatiable gastronome – all of which find expression in his growing repertoire of eclectic fiction. He is the author of multiple novels, including Erasures (Literary Titan Gold Award), Catfishing Caitlyn (Literary Titan Silver Award), The Celeste Experiment (Literary Titan Silver Award), When Her Hand Moves, a collection of three controversial, thought-provoking novellas, and The Gospel of Damascus (2012 Book of the Year Award finalist). His forthcoming books dig ever deeper into the human experience of alienation and the quest for meaning in a world increasingly hostile to answers.

www.oimady.com

Reviews

[Star Gater · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Villa Magna Publishing for accepting my request to audibly read and review When Her Hand Moves.

Author: Omar Imady
Published: 06/08/22
Narrators: Dan Akers', Chandrika Chevli, and Goldie Perry

Genre: Literary Fiction, Multicultural Interest, Religion & Spirituality

The cover for When Her Hand Moves is eye-catching. The image itself spoke of several possibilities, but didn't give me an actual genre. I went on to read the synopsis.

The stories, there are three, were written for a different reader. Some of the writing is beautifully poetic and I could easily visualize the stories. Some parts of the stories, I could have done without. My take on sensual is clearly not the same as the author's

The synopsis does state the book is thought-provoking and controversial, like sensual the author and I differ on these definitions.

I'm going with two stars, and suggest you decide for yourself. This possibly is an art form I will never appreciate. The cover is as much of a puzzle as the book.

[Rania · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains three stories, and although it is described as suspense-filled novellas, they are not the traditional type of suspense stories that I am accustomed to.

I did struggle getting through the first story as I found there were distracting details and not enough action related to the plot of the story.

The second and third stories did get progressively better and I enjoyed the third story the best as it fit the most with a suspense novel.

The second story was well told, however, for most of the story, I was unsure what was the “mystery”. This was revealed near the end. It felt more like a regular story than a suspense story.

Story #3 sees Idris, a British-Syrian journalist, who stumbles upon pictures of an ancient manuscript written in Arabic found in Lisbon, Portugal. He reaches out to an Oxford scholar, Fatima for assistance. They end up in Lisbon searching for the manuscript and adventure ensues.

Overall, I was expecting more action, but I found it to be lovely storytelling, getting better with each story.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains three stories broken down into movements full of magical realism, sensuality and spirituality. It is about an English nurse, a Syrian professor and an Oxford scholar. I had a difficult time reading this book. I especially found the first and second movements to be wordy. Much attention was given to the surroundings leaving little attention to the content that is needed for a suspenseful thriller.

The third movement was by far my favorite part of the book. I found the book to be emotionally exhausting for me. Overall, I did find the book to beautifully written. The author's attention to the surroundings, the visualization, transports you into each story that is being told.

Thank you NetGalley for gifting me a copy of this book. I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[Louise McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is made up of three novellas that are linked by themes of spirituality and magical realism. All have a lot of suspense and read like literary thrillers - almost - because this book is utterly beautifully written, it's almost poetic. The stories are gripping and mysterious you are left needing to turn the page. Each of the stories has really stayed with me. If you like being taken on a journey by a book then this is a book that takes you on three!

[A.M. Ramzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating read - it raises questions that I've never heard asked, nor answered. The language is rich and replete with metaphors and symbolism both foreign and familiar. Each of the stories has a distinct flavour and yet the same themes of strong-willed women and the search for spiritual identity run through each. This is one of those books that stays with you long after you've read it.

[Books Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literary fiction combines the sensual with the sacred, the cerebral with the fantastical, and the hazardous with the divine. With a hint of magical realism, three stories are combined to analyze, question, and pose challenges to our conceptions of spirituality and universal truths. In the sleepy hamlet of King's Lynn, an English nurse becomes obsessed with solving the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a Syrian woman. Along the way, she discovers the history and present rich in magic and mysticism. After fleeing Damascus, a Syrian academic discovers a scheme that puts his life at even more risk before he finds himself in another bizarre and perilous environment. To read an old text and unearth a theological plot with explosive ramifications for the individual and the entire human race, an Oxford scholar and an eccentric Syrian journalist set out on a journey through Portugal and Spain.

Three stories make up this collection, which is bound together by a shared interest in magic realism and spirituality. All of them are suspenseful and nearly read like literary thrillers because of how exquisitely written this book is. The language is complex and full of both unfamiliar and familiar metaphors and symbolism. Although each of the stories has its unique flavor, they all share similar themes of independent women and the pursuit of spiritual identity.

Turning the page becomes necessary because of how engrossing and enigmatic the stories are. I continue to think about each of the stories. Even the salt and pepper shakers accusingly glare at Sue in this odd, mystical, but brilliant tale. In the second book, a womanizer is entrusted with finding out how much money is being embezzled from the college where he works. I adored the tone and delivery of all three narrators and felt they were all fantastic. The author manages to keep the reader interested by narrating the many characters in the three stories in an engaging manner.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The three stories in the book when her hand moves is supposed to be fastened after Bible stories, but I would be totally faking it if I said not only that I knew the stories they were reimagine from bats all the similarities. Because I did not! In the first book Sue is a nurse and then this book her neighbor goes missing a Samarian woman and her husband is accused of the foul play the caused her to go missing. This book was mystical and strange, but great at the same time even the salt and pepper shakers look at Sue accusingly. In the second book a womanizer gets tasked with uncovering the embezzlement that’s going on at the college he works for. Although he escaped danger in his own country he knows the more he uncovers the closer he will get to telling his own truth and the third story is about an oxford scholar follows the thread from one country to another to uncover a religious conspiracy that will not only affect the world but effect him as well. The stories were really good. I admit the first one almost lost me with the NAM in it objects into emotions, but when they finally got to the plot I got it and liked it the second story was also disorienting but just like the first once it got into the plot I was hooked and the third I’m not submit kind of lost me but if you like whimsical tales told with magical realism you would like this book. I thought all three narrators were awesome and enjoyed the tone and delivery. Don’t think because these are fashioned after Bible stories that they have no spice to them because they do in the first story her breath talk to her and then the second the man is a womanizer and all that entails. I received this book from NetGalleyShelf and the author and I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.

[Julia Simpson-Urrutia · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Her Hand Moves is a highly poetic novel. At points, I felt as if I had wandered into a version of Alice's Wonderland, due to all the inanimate objects or body parts taking on personality traits. Books elbow each other for a protagonist's attention, various furniture or toasters glow in pleasure or whisper and scowl, and breasts act independently of the women to whom they are attached. For me, the continual sidetracking into metaphor and never-ending similes was enough to stop the story. I am a basic plot-driven reader with a lot of interest in character development. Metaphors and similes that do not advance either plot or understanding of character are stumbling blocks to me. I did find the missing woman's story interesting, but I finally threw in the towel towards the end of Chapter 8 when the metaphors and similes involving lovemaking blocked the progress of any story at all. The fact that the author is male is evident from the obsession with women's body parts. With an audiobook, the "fine art of skipping pages" (as Somerset Maugham once phrased it) is very difficult. I did try to skip forward but I kept landing in a metaphor or rolled-out simile with no goal in sight. I left the story not interested enough to care how it ended.

[Priya Malani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of three thriller novellas with themes around Syrian refugees.

There are several elements for a reader to look forward to; mystery, crime, death, intense intimate encounters, dark suspense, etc. All revolve around Syria in some way.

The various characters of the three stories are narrated by the author in such a way that he manages to keep the reader absolutely hooked. Be it Sidra, Jude , Fatima or Idris; all have their own space in the story and the author links the three stories together with his magical writing style.

'When her Hand Moves' was reminiscent of books by Dan Brown & Sidney Sheldon. This I say with reference to the mysterious, thriller, historical & ancestral nature of the story.

Overall , the book is lengthy but the experience is very thrilling. I would recommend reading this in 3 sittings. 1 sitting for each part to avoid losing the continuity. My personal favourite story from the book was the second story about Jude Marsini. The end of his story was totally unexpected, I was astounded.

PS- The author has really given deep thought to the book title. You will find out why once you read it..!

[Ammaarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @villamagnapublishing for providing me with a promotional copy.

Although I don't read much mystery, I loved how this story was told. Not only did it include three separate stories, but the way in which they were all told was extremely interesting to me.

As much as I loved all the aspects of this book, I really enjoyed the third story. The first two stories focused more on surrounding aspects while the third was more plot driven. Due to this, little content and action was explored in the first two stories. Although I would typically find this to be a bit troubling, I loved how the story wrapped up in the third story. Everything that I wanted throughout the book was delivered in the third story and it made this book a wonderful read.

Overall, I loved the storytelling of this story. The authors attention to detail (albeit it may appear a lot sometimes) was incredible. It really transported you in the world in which the story was being set.

[Ema · Rating 5 out of 5]

When her hand moves defies easy categorization - a mysterious journey rooted in Islamic spirituality. This collection of three short stories celebrates and challenges tradition through the poignant symbolism of Syria. It's a thought-provoking work of art that leaves you with more questions than answers, never underestimating the reader's intellect.
Highly recommended.

[Helen Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover is intriguing the face of a women staring at the reader. In all fairness i couldn't take to this book. It was described as a suspense filled novellas but felt this was misleading. The book at times veered completely off track. I couldn't finish and was a DNF for me.