Marlene Zaedyan’s ZOOMING WITH THE PAST honors the lives of four girls in Lebanon through the eyes of Camille, who in the midst of the COVID pandemic finds herself longing for her old friendships: the people who taught her about pain, love, and strength.
One by one, she recalls each girl, the hardships they faced, and the lessons they learned. The structure of moving from one friend to the next allows the story to flow, and the narrator’s love for her friends is visceral: “my heart broke for her in a way I never thought possible.” Perhaps it would be interesting to have the stories interwoven, though; we see Camille’s perspective, but one wonders if any of the timelines overlapped and how all of the girls related to one another. Still, there is strength in the one-by-one arrangement; it acts as a spotlight on each character, an attentive glow that we would all like to have shined upon us. This is the strongest element of the book: the narrator's eye for detail, empathy, and her unfailing love and admiration for her friends.
Other strengths of the book include the descriptive language and Lebanese setting. Zaedyan references such practices as Turkish coffee reading (“with a graceful swirl and a flick of the wrist, each cup was upended onto its saucer, the grounds forming a mosaic of destiny"), creating a warm and rich scene. She also uses evocative imagery, particularly with nature: “These fruit trees, with their sickly, green appearance, seemed to mirror the desolation that pervaded our hearts."
While Book 1 comprises the women’s individual stories, Book 2 brings us back to the present. Having reflected on her friendships, the narrator reaches out with the arms of technology to reconnect them. It's a positive perspective on modern tech, one that's especially welcome in a world where we can easily forget social media's simplest purpose: to connect us to loved ones all over the world. The reunion affirms the book's message of the importance of friendship: “Despite the years that had passed and the paths we had chosen, our connection remained as strong as ever.”
That this book exists at all is a testament to that very message. Just as they learned from each other, the reader will learn from them— and perhaps reflect on their own friendships.
Marlene Zaedyan’s ZOOMING WITH THE PAST is a shining testament to the power of friendship, keeping the reader engaged with evocative language and emotional stories.
~ Tess McCumstie for IndieReader