Click Here To Purchase From Amazon Resolution 786: A Novel in Three Acts Telling Cuneiform tales of Love and War and God and Lust and Loss

Author: Mohamed Mughal

Publisher: iUniverse

ISBN: 978-0-595-47060-0

Mohamed Mughal was born in Africa and raised in the United States. His publications include non-fiction articles on chemical warfare and biological terrorism. Mohamed has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, including a PhD in public policy.

This is a very deep book yet funny and strange all at the same time. Muslims and Jews play a large part in the acts and scenes.

The first act sees a young, curious eight-year-old boy named Adam Hueghlomm (a product of a mixed marriage) who is intrigued by an old man who he sees disappear into a side alley.

One day while his mother is out of sight, Adam slips between the tall wrought iron fence that surrounds their home and follows the stranger into the side alley. Listening to the sound of the gravel crunching beneath his red flip-flops, young Adam spies the old man down the alley with his legs slightly part.  

Even more curious then before Adam edges nearer to the man until it becomes apparent the old guy is having a pee in the near-by weeds.

Before Adam knows it, the old man’s head is turning towards his until their eyes lock.

The guy signals with his eyes for Adam to come closer and take a peek inside a mud-caked bag beside him. Nobody speaks a word as Adam is drawn like a puppet on an invisible string to the bag where he can hear faint tweets coming from the inside. There nestled in a sun-burnt copy of the Quran are some bright yellow chicks.

Something slightly unnerving happens then as suddenly Adam is able to glimpse scenes of war and death and a pilgrimage like a “speeded up old movie reel”.  

I thought this story had a very religious undertone in using the Islamic holy book the Quran as part of the act. A story that should capture and intrigue the reader.

Adam features in many of the other acts within this book that are interesting to read - all bearing some religious content in them.

There is a section that includes the five counts of the Lord. A little difficult for me to understand especially as I’m not a religious believer. Here are a few sentences taken from the counts that you may understand better: “For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt”(Exodus, chapter 12, verse 12).

Perhaps another: “For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it” (Genesis, chapter 19, verse 13).  

If you can manage to perhaps decode what these sentences mean, then you may get a deeper idea of what is being meant here.

In Silent Night, Holy Night 34 act 3, some teenagers are featured who sing the well-known song Silent Night: “Silent night! Holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight; Glories stream from heaven afar, Heavenly hosts sing, Alleluia”. In this instance it is little orphan Haroon Hadad, six years old, who lays giggling in a bed of straw surrounded by the soldiers of Platoon 110 who are the bearers of gifts. A very spiritual tale with echoes of friendship, peace and the promise of a “new and better tomorrow”. 

This book indeed weaves the black humour of Vonnegut with one man’s relationship with God. It uses Africa, America and the streets of Baghdad as the backdrop to this remarkable tale with many undertones of the twenty-first century’s first war.

Mohamed’s use of words is rich and varied - a little hard for me to follow sometimes but others may not have a problem.

Deep, funny, poignant and ultimately satisfying. If you have a love for this type of literature - read this.

Click Here To Purchase From Amazon Resolution 786: A Novel in Three Acts Telling Cuneiform tales of Love and War and God and Lust and Loss

The above review was contributed by: Jessica Roberts:  Jessica is a book reviewer for a local newspaper and has reviewed for a national women's magazine too. She has had various articles published in magazines and has now completed her novel. Jessica currently lives in West Yorkshire and enjoys walking in the dales and woodlands as part of her hobby as well as, of course, reviewing books. To read more of Jessica's reviews  CLICK HERE 

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