The Bone Sparrow

Content Warning: This section contains depictions of human suffering and violence towards and the murder of children, as well as discussions of self-harm, the death of a parent, and death by suicide. It depicts life in detention centers, the persecution of immigrants, and the persecution of Muslims, particularly the Rohingya. Refugee experiences, and associated depictions of displacement and trauma, are described. It also engages in negative stereotypes of people with missing eyes.

As far back as humans can trace, people have depended on oral traditions to transmit cultural heritage to their progeny. Storytelling has always been at the core of preserving language and traditions within a people group as well as a means of entertainment and artistic expression. In her novel The Bone Sparrow, Zana Fraillon highlights that storytelling is a vital force that connects individuals to each other and their cultural heritage. At the beginning of the novel, Subhi explains that he depends on his maá’s stories to learn about his Rohingya culture. Though separated from his home country, through her words, Subhi connects to his culture and finds his identity. Subhi explains the importance of the knowledge she carries, the “stories from a time so long gone that he couldn’t know except by being told them himself” (45).