It is said that you never know what goes on behind closed
doors, and if perchance you happened to be the fly on the wall of someone’s
home you would be surprised by how different your perception is to what really
goes on.
This is the thought I had when reading “Behind Picket
Fences” by Hend Hegazi. The narrative focuses on the lives of four families in
a neighbourhood and the drama that unfolds shows that what things seem to be is
not always as they are. From the psychological and emotional struggles of the
beautiful young artist Summer, to the illness suffered by May, the caring
mother and loving wife, to the financial difficulties affecting the marriage of
Morgan and Mariam this book reminds us that life is filled with various trials.
It allows us as the reader to get out of our own world for a while and to
broaden our ideas of what life should really be like. We are reminded that no
one is without trials. In fact even a seemingly perfect marriage like that of
the characters Sidra and Farris is filled with its own trials.
This book is a lovely portrayal of the trials and
tribulations of life, the way in which people understand and depict love and
the things they would do to achieve happiness. It sheds light on the fact that
human beings are complex creatures and our motives and actions may not make
sense to each other, but often come from genuine feelings. It touches on the
idea of tolerance and reminds us that if we do not empathize with and tolerate
one another then we will miss out on having meaningful relationships with
others.
The book also allows us to focus on the fact that although
we are all very different, in essence we are actually more similar than we
think.
I enjoyed how the characters came together to support one
another even though they may not have understood each other’s lives or
situations. The neighbourly spirit was brought to the fore as characters put
their own issues aside to help out and see to the needs of their neighbours. It
was refreshing to see people depicted as supportive instead of hostile towards
one another.
One thing that bothered me while reading though was that I
had to wait a few chapters to find out what happened to the character as the
book was divided into 4 stories and each chapter focused on a different story. At
times I found myself filled with suspense, wanting to skip chapters just to
find out what was going to happen to the characters I was reading about.
All in all I enjoyed reading this book. It tugged at the
emotional heartstrings and presented relatable stories. The characters and
their struggles are identifiable to people across cultures and religions. What
the book focuses on is the human experience and the essence of life. It reminds
us not to judge anyone because indeed, we never know what goes on behind closed
doors, or in this case, behind picket fences.
