What do you think?
Rate this book
In the Language of Miracles
A mesmerizing debut novel of an Egyptian American family and the wrenching tragedy that tears their lives apart
Samir and Nagla Al-Menshawy appear to have attained the American dream. After immigrating to the United States from Egypt, Samir successfully works his way through a residency and launches his own medical practice as Nagla tends to their firstborn, Hosaam, in the cramped quarters of a small apartment. Soon the growing family moves into a big house in the manicured New Jersey suburb of Summerset, where their three children eventually attend school with Natalie Bradstreet, the daughter of their neighbors and best friends. More than a decade later, the family’s seemingly stable life is suddenly upended when a devastating turn of events leaves Hosaam and Natalie dead and turns the Al-Menshawys into outcasts in their own town.
Narrated a year after Hosaam and Natalie’s deaths, Rajia Hassib’s heartfelt novel follows the Al-Menshawys during the five days leading up to the memorial service that the Bradstreets have organized to mark the one-year anniversary of their daughter’s death. While Nagla strives to understand her role in the tragedy and Samir desperately seeks reconciliation with the community, Khaled, their surviving son, finds himself living in the shadow of his troubled brother. Struggling under the guilt and pressure of being the good son, Khaled turns to the city in hopes of finding happiness away from the painful memories home conjures. Yet he is repeatedly pulled back home to his grandmother, Ehsan, who arrives from Egypt armed with incense, prayers, and an unyielding determination to stop the unraveling of her daughter’s family. In Ehsan, Khaled finds either a true hope of salvation or the embodiment of everything he must flee if he is ever to find himself.
Writing with unflinchingly honest prose, Rajia Hassib tells the story of one family pushed to the brink by tragedy and mental illness, trying to salvage the life they worked so hard to achieve. The graceful, elegiac voice of In the Language of Miracles paints tender portraits of a family’s struggle to move on in the wake of heartbreak, to stay true to its traditions, and above all else, to find acceptance and reconciliation.
Samir and Nagla Al-Menshawy appear to have attained the American dream. After immigrating to the United States from Egypt, Samir successfully works his way through a residency and launches his own medical practice as Nagla tends to their firstborn, Hosaam, in the cramped quarters of a small apartment. Soon the growing family moves into a big house in the manicured New Jersey suburb of Summerset, where their three children eventually attend school with Natalie Bradstreet, the daughter of their neighbors and best friends. More than a decade later, the family’s seemingly stable life is suddenly upended when a devastating turn of events leaves Hosaam and Natalie dead and turns the Al-Menshawys into outcasts in their own town.
Narrated a year after Hosaam and Natalie’s deaths, Rajia Hassib’s heartfelt novel follows the Al-Menshawys during the five days leading up to the memorial service that the Bradstreets have organized to mark the one-year anniversary of their daughter’s death. While Nagla strives to understand her role in the tragedy and Samir desperately seeks reconciliation with the community, Khaled, their surviving son, finds himself living in the shadow of his troubled brother. Struggling under the guilt and pressure of being the good son, Khaled turns to the city in hopes of finding happiness away from the painful memories home conjures. Yet he is repeatedly pulled back home to his grandmother, Ehsan, who arrives from Egypt armed with incense, prayers, and an unyielding determination to stop the unraveling of her daughter’s family. In Ehsan, Khaled finds either a true hope of salvation or the embodiment of everything he must flee if he is ever to find himself.
Writing with unflinchingly honest prose, Rajia Hassib tells the story of one family pushed to the brink by tragedy and mental illness, trying to salvage the life they worked so hard to achieve. The graceful, elegiac voice of In the Language of Miracles paints tender portraits of a family’s struggle to move on in the wake of heartbreak, to stay true to its traditions, and above all else, to find acceptance and reconciliation.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published August 11, 2015
67 people are currently reading
4,264 people want to read
About the author
Rajia Hassib
3Ìýbooks169ÌýfollowersRajia Hassib was born and raised in Egypt and moved to the United States when she was twenty-three. Her first novel, In the Language of Miracles, was a New York Times Editorsâ€� Choice and received an honorable mention from the Arab American Book Award. She holds an MA in creative writing from Marshall University, and she has written for The New York Times Book Review and The New Yorker online. She lives in West Virginia with her husband and two children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
July 13, 2023
I cherished this beautifully bold story all along the way. Riding the waves of feels, wanting to race towards the end, yet wishing the story would never truly be over.
August 1, 2015
This books starts a year after the aftermath of a tragedy. An Egyptian American family whose eldest son has killed his American girlfriend, a girl he grew up with, that lived next door, and then committed suicide.
The opening of each chapter, which is each a day in a week leading up to a planned memorial service by the murdered girls parents, starts with a common saying in America and than the Arabic counterpoint. The family had lived here for many years, the father had a thriving medical practice practice, he wanted the best for his family. Tried so h ad so they would all fit in. After 9/11 things became very tough for Muslims in general and after this incident things became almost impossible for his family. Another son and a younger daughter, his wife whose best friend in this country had been the girl's mother.
This book highlights the difficulties of fitting in. trying to retain their own religion while reaching out to a community for understanding. The mother of the murderer is unable to function, her mother comes from Egypt to stay and keep the family running. Which begs the question, "Should the parents have been aware of the changes in their son that could lead to this?" How much are the parents to blame?"
It will all come to a head the day of the memorial service and than hard choices will be made. A very well written book, wonderfully diverse characters. A peek into the Arab culture and their religion. A wrought look at a family in crisis and how they handle it? Very poignant and in light of today's headlines, very timely.
ARC from publisher.
The opening of each chapter, which is each a day in a week leading up to a planned memorial service by the murdered girls parents, starts with a common saying in America and than the Arabic counterpoint. The family had lived here for many years, the father had a thriving medical practice practice, he wanted the best for his family. Tried so h ad so they would all fit in. After 9/11 things became very tough for Muslims in general and after this incident things became almost impossible for his family. Another son and a younger daughter, his wife whose best friend in this country had been the girl's mother.
This book highlights the difficulties of fitting in. trying to retain their own religion while reaching out to a community for understanding. The mother of the murderer is unable to function, her mother comes from Egypt to stay and keep the family running. Which begs the question, "Should the parents have been aware of the changes in their son that could lead to this?" How much are the parents to blame?"
It will all come to a head the day of the memorial service and than hard choices will be made. A very well written book, wonderfully diverse characters. A peek into the Arab culture and their religion. A wrought look at a family in crisis and how they handle it? Very poignant and in light of today's headlines, very timely.
ARC from publisher.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2016
Review to come.
Note to whomever saw me crying at the bar at Washington National during my layover. I finished this book and I also started Gronk this week (on my Fantasy team). Both explain my distress.
Note to whomever saw me crying at the bar at Washington National during my layover. I finished this book and I also started Gronk this week (on my Fantasy team). Both explain my distress.
April 5, 2017
An Egyptian family, the Al-Menshawys, is torn apart when the eldest son commits a tragic crime.
The Al-Menshawys lived in New Jersey where the father, Samir, has been practicing as an internist in a small town Sumerset, New Jersey, for almost twenty years. The tragedy leads to the unraveling of everything they believed and dreamed.
Intense pain, grief and remorse encapsulated the family as the community turn against them and blame them for what happened.
Conflict within the family, as well as their relations with the community, drives this story line to a dramatic conclusion.
The Muslim religion is explained through the presence of the grandmother, Ehsan, who arrived from Egypt.
The members of the family are all held captive in the aftermath, in which different viewpoints serve as balls and chains to each character's mind and soul.
The narrators:
Khaleb - the son; who discovered his real friends in the aftermath;
Samir - the stubborn, domineering but loving father;
Nagla - the mother.
Fringe characters include Ehsan, the grandmother; Fatima, the daughter.
Sweet, endearing grandmother Ehsan, just want to spread the love of God around, prevent the family of breaking up and lose their way. The only way she knew how to do it, was to keep Allah present in their lives, day and night. That is how she grew up. That is what made sense in her life.
I haven't felt this claustrophobic while reading a book, since Room by Emma Donoghue.
The constant onslaught of religion on the non-believers, or agnostics,(which were basically the entire Americanized Al-Menshawy family), as well as on the reader, might have been effective, and might have successfully accomplished the purpose of creating constricted, grieving souls, relaying the hell which the family had to endure, but unfortunately it drove me to skip five chapters. It was just too much. With that said, I would have felt the same with anyone from any religion who followed me around, 24/7, and quoted verses from their book of beliefs! I felt like being violated in the same way as when religious groups such as the Jehovas Witnesses knocks on my own door and refuse to leave.
Each chapter starts out with a comparison between Arabic and similar English expressions, such as:
'Breaking bread'(English) - 'Eating Bread and Salt' (Arabic);
'Till death do us part'(English) - Among all the permitted acts, divorce is the most hateful to God'(Arabic);
'Like father, like son'(English) - 'This cub is that lion's offspring / Turn the carafe upside down, and the daughter will resemble the mother'(Arabic).
These expressions confirm the similarities between religions and people, which emphasize the sadness of the situation in which the American neighbors made sure that the family will pay for the sins of their son.
Both families who were involved in the tragedy went through the same pain and suffering, but instead of dealing with it together, each family had their own way of trying to come to grips with the events, when each family's identity with their culture and religion became the tools to deal with the situation.
The Al-Menshawys tried to ask for forgiveness and understanding of the hell they went through; the Bradstreets organized a commemoration of the tragedy, involving television cameras and the entire community, which increased the antipathy of a revenge-seeking community under the disguise of their own religion. The 'criminals' would never be allowed to forget, and forgiveness was not an option. The message was clear, although, as Cynthia explained to Nagla, their ceremony was not about the Menshawys, it was about the Bradstreet's daughter. No harm was intended to the Menshawys in the Bradstreet's way of showing their grief within their cultural and religious boundaries.
There is a lot to consider and think about, for instance, if it wasn't for this innocent Muslim family, it could have been any other innocent family of any religion who would have been vilified as accomplices in a crime. For instance, it could have been the family of a drunk driver in a fatal accident. But as luck would have it, it was a Muslim young man who did the unthinkable.
Personally I did not find the religious play in the story as innocent as it is suppose to be. By making it the focus of the book, it becomes a contentious issue. However, since religion plays such a big role in most societies, and currently dominates the global stage, it is allowed to be used in this context. The story does include the different approaches of the members of society to their own religions as well as those of others. Not all Muslims or all Christians are covered under the same umbrella. That is made very clear in the story. Cross-cultural friendships are highlighted.
However, the unforgiving nature of the Christian neighbors, the Bratstreets, in this particular situation is on the table. Their hypocrisy and falseness exposed. While the love of God is preached, the wrath of God is lived and visited upon 'the enemy' in the name of love. Jim was the first neighbor to welcome the Al-Menshawys to their neighborhood twenty years ago. Cynthia became Nagla's best friend. Jim helped Samir to restore the beautiful old house. A house became a home. Their children grew up together as best friends. And then the unthinkable happened and another side of neighborly love is exposed ...
The family made different choices in the end to finally overcome their own obstacles. Life turned out well, although not as expected for everyone. Light slowly replaced the darkness for those who were willing to allow the sun in.
For me it is a dark, somber, sad, depressing novel. A perfect tragedy. Well written. Very well executed.
I just missed the absence of light (although it would have defeated the purpose of the book). And the overwhelming scriptures from the Khoran splashed over everything smothered me (and the gripping story) completely. I simply stopped breathing enthusiasm.
And I wanted more sparkles of hope. Reality, however, dictates otherwise and this is not a fairy tale.
I want to rate it three stars, since it left me empty, emotionally divorced, but will allow one up for the excellent, easy flow of the gripping prose. Very well done.
The characters were well drawn.
The theme of the book was very well established.
The message was powerful. Thought-provoking. Emotionally intense.
It is a literary novel. That says it all.
Recommended! Absolutely.
The Al-Menshawys lived in New Jersey where the father, Samir, has been practicing as an internist in a small town Sumerset, New Jersey, for almost twenty years. The tragedy leads to the unraveling of everything they believed and dreamed.
Intense pain, grief and remorse encapsulated the family as the community turn against them and blame them for what happened.
Conflict within the family, as well as their relations with the community, drives this story line to a dramatic conclusion.
The Muslim religion is explained through the presence of the grandmother, Ehsan, who arrived from Egypt.
Armed with incense, a thermos filled with holy water from the Zamzam Well in Mecca, and a frayed pocket-sized book of prayers, Ehsan arrived at Khaled’s bedside ready to fight any and all misfortunes that might have befallen her favorite grandchild.And of course, she brought the cooking with her! Wonderful dishes to explore!
The members of the family are all held captive in the aftermath, in which different viewpoints serve as balls and chains to each character's mind and soul.
The narrators:
Khaleb - the son; who discovered his real friends in the aftermath;
Samir - the stubborn, domineering but loving father;
Nagla - the mother.
Fringe characters include Ehsan, the grandmother; Fatima, the daughter.
Sweet, endearing grandmother Ehsan, just want to spread the love of God around, prevent the family of breaking up and lose their way. The only way she knew how to do it, was to keep Allah present in their lives, day and night. That is how she grew up. That is what made sense in her life.
In a whisper that implied her words were meant only for his ears, Ehsan told Khaled the story of the holy water she had requested specifically for him, water her sister had carried all the way from Saudi Arabia to Egypt and that she in turn had carried from Egypt to the United States.COMMENTS
“This is blessed water,� she said as she unscrewed the thermos lid and poured just enough to moisten a washcloth. “It is water that has run since the time of the prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon his soul. It is so pure it can heal the sick. If you were in the middle of the desert, one sip only would quench your thirst for days. This water,� she continued as she put the thermos on his nightstand and held the white washcloth up for him to see, “runs out of the deep belly of the Arabian Desert, yet in this scorching heat it still comes out ice cold. This water will make you all better.�
I haven't felt this claustrophobic while reading a book, since Room by Emma Donoghue.
The constant onslaught of religion on the non-believers, or agnostics,(which were basically the entire Americanized Al-Menshawy family), as well as on the reader, might have been effective, and might have successfully accomplished the purpose of creating constricted, grieving souls, relaying the hell which the family had to endure, but unfortunately it drove me to skip five chapters. It was just too much. With that said, I would have felt the same with anyone from any religion who followed me around, 24/7, and quoted verses from their book of beliefs! I felt like being violated in the same way as when religious groups such as the Jehovas Witnesses knocks on my own door and refuse to leave.
Each chapter starts out with a comparison between Arabic and similar English expressions, such as:
'Breaking bread'(English) - 'Eating Bread and Salt' (Arabic);
'Till death do us part'(English) - Among all the permitted acts, divorce is the most hateful to God'(Arabic);
'Like father, like son'(English) - 'This cub is that lion's offspring / Turn the carafe upside down, and the daughter will resemble the mother'(Arabic).
These expressions confirm the similarities between religions and people, which emphasize the sadness of the situation in which the American neighbors made sure that the family will pay for the sins of their son.
Both families who were involved in the tragedy went through the same pain and suffering, but instead of dealing with it together, each family had their own way of trying to come to grips with the events, when each family's identity with their culture and religion became the tools to deal with the situation.
The Al-Menshawys tried to ask for forgiveness and understanding of the hell they went through; the Bradstreets organized a commemoration of the tragedy, involving television cameras and the entire community, which increased the antipathy of a revenge-seeking community under the disguise of their own religion. The 'criminals' would never be allowed to forget, and forgiveness was not an option. The message was clear, although, as Cynthia explained to Nagla, their ceremony was not about the Menshawys, it was about the Bradstreet's daughter. No harm was intended to the Menshawys in the Bradstreet's way of showing their grief within their cultural and religious boundaries.
There is a lot to consider and think about, for instance, if it wasn't for this innocent Muslim family, it could have been any other innocent family of any religion who would have been vilified as accomplices in a crime. For instance, it could have been the family of a drunk driver in a fatal accident. But as luck would have it, it was a Muslim young man who did the unthinkable.
Personally I did not find the religious play in the story as innocent as it is suppose to be. By making it the focus of the book, it becomes a contentious issue. However, since religion plays such a big role in most societies, and currently dominates the global stage, it is allowed to be used in this context. The story does include the different approaches of the members of society to their own religions as well as those of others. Not all Muslims or all Christians are covered under the same umbrella. That is made very clear in the story. Cross-cultural friendships are highlighted.
However, the unforgiving nature of the Christian neighbors, the Bratstreets, in this particular situation is on the table. Their hypocrisy and falseness exposed. While the love of God is preached, the wrath of God is lived and visited upon 'the enemy' in the name of love. Jim was the first neighbor to welcome the Al-Menshawys to their neighborhood twenty years ago. Cynthia became Nagla's best friend. Jim helped Samir to restore the beautiful old house. A house became a home. Their children grew up together as best friends. And then the unthinkable happened and another side of neighborly love is exposed ...
The family made different choices in the end to finally overcome their own obstacles. Life turned out well, although not as expected for everyone. Light slowly replaced the darkness for those who were willing to allow the sun in.
For me it is a dark, somber, sad, depressing novel. A perfect tragedy. Well written. Very well executed.
I just missed the absence of light (although it would have defeated the purpose of the book). And the overwhelming scriptures from the Khoran splashed over everything smothered me (and the gripping story) completely. I simply stopped breathing enthusiasm.
And I wanted more sparkles of hope. Reality, however, dictates otherwise and this is not a fairy tale.
I want to rate it three stars, since it left me empty, emotionally divorced, but will allow one up for the excellent, easy flow of the gripping prose. Very well done.
The characters were well drawn.
The theme of the book was very well established.
The message was powerful. Thought-provoking. Emotionally intense.
It is a literary novel. That says it all.
Recommended! Absolutely.
July 1, 2015
In Suburban New Jersey, an Egyptian family....
and an America family....
live next door to each. They are friends.
When a horrific tragedy happens... members of the Al-Menshawys and Bradstreet family
are each affected differently.
These two families are facing horrific grief.....battling their own pain
differently.... separately, yet connected. I felt so deeply for the Egyptian family...and the
Bradstreet family... ( but different).
I knew nothing about this story when I started reading. This book was a gift.
Best way to read it in my opinion: GO IN BLIND. I just read a review on Amazon....and I don't know if it's the standard blurp for the book or not ... but I suggest: 'wait'. It gives too much away.
This is a Multi layered story...
A tragic loss...with added judgments, and prejudices, ... very sad but real situations.
Insights into Muslims living in the United States after 9/11
A look at Egyptian customs and traditions, grandma's prayers, incense, Arabic ways
of raising children....
and modern American life with our western music - iPhones, Facebook.. Etc.
The characters are each well developed ... with siblings each distracting themselves ... making choices - in their own way...that help them make sense of their lives.
The migration of the monarch butterfly almost becomes a symbol or metaphor....for flight, freedom, and forgiveness. .... ( letting go of BIAS VIEWS which hurt people)
Sad, yet soothing....engaging & enjoyable!
Rajia Hassib is a new author -- from Egypt... ( nothing feels new about her talents).
She must be a natural born storyteller... With 'ease' this story unfolded!!! Perfectly!
and an America family....
live next door to each. They are friends.
When a horrific tragedy happens... members of the Al-Menshawys and Bradstreet family
are each affected differently.
These two families are facing horrific grief.....battling their own pain
differently.... separately, yet connected. I felt so deeply for the Egyptian family...and the
Bradstreet family... ( but different).
I knew nothing about this story when I started reading. This book was a gift.
Best way to read it in my opinion: GO IN BLIND. I just read a review on Amazon....and I don't know if it's the standard blurp for the book or not ... but I suggest: 'wait'. It gives too much away.
This is a Multi layered story...
A tragic loss...with added judgments, and prejudices, ... very sad but real situations.
Insights into Muslims living in the United States after 9/11
A look at Egyptian customs and traditions, grandma's prayers, incense, Arabic ways
of raising children....
and modern American life with our western music - iPhones, Facebook.. Etc.
The characters are each well developed ... with siblings each distracting themselves ... making choices - in their own way...that help them make sense of their lives.
The migration of the monarch butterfly almost becomes a symbol or metaphor....for flight, freedom, and forgiveness. .... ( letting go of BIAS VIEWS which hurt people)
Sad, yet soothing....engaging & enjoyable!
Rajia Hassib is a new author -- from Egypt... ( nothing feels new about her talents).
She must be a natural born storyteller... With 'ease' this story unfolded!!! Perfectly!
April 7, 2018
In the Language of Miracles is about the effect of one family member's tragic actions on his brother, sister, parents and grandmother. The novel explores their estrangement from their community and each other while tackling weighty issues of religion, sexism, racism.
I appreciated the complexity of the characters - especially Khaled and Nagla who are trying to come to grips with what has happened to them. I also liked the way the grandmother acted as a bridge between the various family members. The author could have easily reduced her to a stereotype but she gave her a full and interesting identity.
Because the characters are suspended in mid-air, unable to examine the past or move forward, there was a sense of inertia to the book that slowed it to a crawl at times. But this was OK with me and I found it both moving and enlightening.
I appreciated the complexity of the characters - especially Khaled and Nagla who are trying to come to grips with what has happened to them. I also liked the way the grandmother acted as a bridge between the various family members. The author could have easily reduced her to a stereotype but she gave her a full and interesting identity.
Because the characters are suspended in mid-air, unable to examine the past or move forward, there was a sense of inertia to the book that slowed it to a crawl at times. But this was OK with me and I found it both moving and enlightening.
December 23, 2015
Rajiv Hassib's debut is phenomenal. She tackles the complex emotions of the aftermath of grief with grace, and I love how she integrates the complexity Islam and culture and immigration so beautifully. In a small New Jersey town, the Al-Menshawys' eldest son has committed suicide and killed his ex-girlfriend. If he was white, it would be brushed aside as him being a troubled kid and just some isolated incident. Not a particularly interesting story that I would read. The complication isn't that they're Muslim or Egyptian or Immigrants or hyphenated Americans, but how all of these identity markers are interpreted by the larger community and forces them to react and reshape their grief. And inevitably, their identity. It's the story of what happens after, with the people left behind to pick up the pieces. Rumors abound about the troubled teen's links with terrorism, and each family member reacts in various ways. The entire novel takes place over five days, but transports itself through time, from 1985 to the present.
July 4, 2016
I received this book from Penguin Random House, in exchange for an honest review.
…Khaled remembered what he had originally intended to tell his father, what he had hoped his father would recognize: the fascinating possibility of finding the way back to a home that one has never known. No one knew how the second- or third- generation monarchs found their way back north when they had never been there before. Even now, when he was too old to believe in any of Ehsan’s fables, Khaled would sometimes remember her stories of lost boys following unseen clues home and imagine that the butterflies, like those boys, had an inner compass that directed them to where they were supposed to be, and the idea of a home that one carried within filled him with hope and peace.
Touching, beautifully written debut novel about an Egyptian-American family trying to work through shock and grief, after the oldest son Hosaam kills himself and his neighbor/girlfriend. The story takes place one year after the murders, in post-9/11 New Jersey. After a short lull, tensions begin to escalate again when flyers for the young murdered woman's memorial are taped up all over town. Samir, who has a history of making situations worse, wants to make amends by speaking at the memorial, but his family doesn't think that is a great idea.
His new Facebook page contained a picture of him in profile, the sun shining so brightly in the background his face was visible only as a dark silhouette, the shade of his skin undecipherable, his features one dark mass. Those whom he befriended on Facebook could see a couple of other pictures in which he was recognizable but his surroundings were not: self-portraits of him out on his hikes, with backdrops of trees and open meadows. His face, a dark tan that could have easily passed for any ethnicity, from mixed to Hispanic, was not antagonistic. People did not object to his face, he learned, as much as they objected to his name. And his initials, though they were still his, could imply any name. Karlos Aguilar, with roots both in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Khristos Agathangelos, standing in the front yard of his Mediterranean villa in the Greek isles. Or, his favorite, Kevin Anderson.
The Al-Menshawys have been accepted members of their Somerset community for two decades, but their idyllic, suburban town quickly turns on them when the tragedy strikes. The family experience bigotry and public shaming, as they and their entire culture get blamed for the singular actions of their son. The family becomes isolated from the community and each other. Samir, Nagla, Khaled and Fatima all live under the same roof, but they are each carrying the burden of the tragedy on their own. Samir, who has always desperately wanted his family to blend in and belong, has to cope with his family being ostracized. Nagla struggles with both the grief of losing her son and the anger at his actions, while also blaming herself for ignoring the past hints that now seem like obvious clues of what was to come. Khaled worries about living in the shadow of his brother and starts to pull away from his culture, while his sister Fatima begins to embrace it. Their grandmother Ehsan is visiting from Egypt to help the family during their time of grief. Ehsan's "old ways" and superstitions sometimes frustrate and embarrass the Al-Menshaways in their modern environment, but she is the common thread that binds them all together.
Again one of Nagla’s convictions was confirmed: A lifetime of watching American movies had not taught her mother anything about American social norms. Yet every single breach of American notions of etiquette that Nagla witnessed her mother commit resulted in a connection with someone, a momentary intersection between her mother’s life and a stranger’s that, paradoxically, Nagla could not find fault with, perhaps even envied.
Each chapter begins with an epigraph of a saying in both its Arabic and English(when applicable) renditions. It is interesting to read how similar sentiments translate in two very different cultures. It serves as a reminder of the basic values we all share, despite cultural differences. The narrative is very focused and there aren't any unnecessary side plots. It is a simple, yet complex, story about a family dealing with tragedy. The author is able to seamlessly integrate many important issues in a natural and compelling way: coping with grief, being the family member of the perpetrator of a violent crime, the cultural conflicts between the older and younger generation, the role of culture in grounding a person, the role of the Internet and social media (which in this novel provides a fertile ground for mob cruelty, as well as comforting anonymity), and being a Muslim immigrant in the United States after 9/11. Rajia Hassib's writing flows so beautifully that this quiet book becomes a page-turner, even though it is not one in the traditional sense. The characters don't always make the best choices, but it is easy to understand their motivations. The family is so well-drawn, that the reader desperately wants the family to find peace and acceptance.
My only disappointment is that this is a debut novel, so I can't seek out the author's other books yet! I recommend this work for fans of Everything I Never Told You, and to a lesser extent, The Book of Unknown Americans.
Khaled wished he could tell his father what he had only now realized: that they were all trying to undo something that Hosaam did, hoping that, by their hands or by God’s, fate would change course and all would be well again. But they were damned no matter what they did, not by God, but by a nineteen-year-old boy who had lost the will to live, and, perhaps, by their own failure to see it coming, to prevent disaster rather than scramble in a futile attempt to change the past. First surrender. And then learn to fly.
…Khaled remembered what he had originally intended to tell his father, what he had hoped his father would recognize: the fascinating possibility of finding the way back to a home that one has never known. No one knew how the second- or third- generation monarchs found their way back north when they had never been there before. Even now, when he was too old to believe in any of Ehsan’s fables, Khaled would sometimes remember her stories of lost boys following unseen clues home and imagine that the butterflies, like those boys, had an inner compass that directed them to where they were supposed to be, and the idea of a home that one carried within filled him with hope and peace.
Touching, beautifully written debut novel about an Egyptian-American family trying to work through shock and grief, after the oldest son Hosaam kills himself and his neighbor/girlfriend. The story takes place one year after the murders, in post-9/11 New Jersey. After a short lull, tensions begin to escalate again when flyers for the young murdered woman's memorial are taped up all over town. Samir, who has a history of making situations worse, wants to make amends by speaking at the memorial, but his family doesn't think that is a great idea.
His new Facebook page contained a picture of him in profile, the sun shining so brightly in the background his face was visible only as a dark silhouette, the shade of his skin undecipherable, his features one dark mass. Those whom he befriended on Facebook could see a couple of other pictures in which he was recognizable but his surroundings were not: self-portraits of him out on his hikes, with backdrops of trees and open meadows. His face, a dark tan that could have easily passed for any ethnicity, from mixed to Hispanic, was not antagonistic. People did not object to his face, he learned, as much as they objected to his name. And his initials, though they were still his, could imply any name. Karlos Aguilar, with roots both in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Khristos Agathangelos, standing in the front yard of his Mediterranean villa in the Greek isles. Or, his favorite, Kevin Anderson.
The Al-Menshawys have been accepted members of their Somerset community for two decades, but their idyllic, suburban town quickly turns on them when the tragedy strikes. The family experience bigotry and public shaming, as they and their entire culture get blamed for the singular actions of their son. The family becomes isolated from the community and each other. Samir, Nagla, Khaled and Fatima all live under the same roof, but they are each carrying the burden of the tragedy on their own. Samir, who has always desperately wanted his family to blend in and belong, has to cope with his family being ostracized. Nagla struggles with both the grief of losing her son and the anger at his actions, while also blaming herself for ignoring the past hints that now seem like obvious clues of what was to come. Khaled worries about living in the shadow of his brother and starts to pull away from his culture, while his sister Fatima begins to embrace it. Their grandmother Ehsan is visiting from Egypt to help the family during their time of grief. Ehsan's "old ways" and superstitions sometimes frustrate and embarrass the Al-Menshaways in their modern environment, but she is the common thread that binds them all together.
Again one of Nagla’s convictions was confirmed: A lifetime of watching American movies had not taught her mother anything about American social norms. Yet every single breach of American notions of etiquette that Nagla witnessed her mother commit resulted in a connection with someone, a momentary intersection between her mother’s life and a stranger’s that, paradoxically, Nagla could not find fault with, perhaps even envied.
Each chapter begins with an epigraph of a saying in both its Arabic and English(when applicable) renditions. It is interesting to read how similar sentiments translate in two very different cultures. It serves as a reminder of the basic values we all share, despite cultural differences. The narrative is very focused and there aren't any unnecessary side plots. It is a simple, yet complex, story about a family dealing with tragedy. The author is able to seamlessly integrate many important issues in a natural and compelling way: coping with grief, being the family member of the perpetrator of a violent crime, the cultural conflicts between the older and younger generation, the role of culture in grounding a person, the role of the Internet and social media (which in this novel provides a fertile ground for mob cruelty, as well as comforting anonymity), and being a Muslim immigrant in the United States after 9/11. Rajia Hassib's writing flows so beautifully that this quiet book becomes a page-turner, even though it is not one in the traditional sense. The characters don't always make the best choices, but it is easy to understand their motivations. The family is so well-drawn, that the reader desperately wants the family to find peace and acceptance.
My only disappointment is that this is a debut novel, so I can't seek out the author's other books yet! I recommend this work for fans of Everything I Never Told You, and to a lesser extent, The Book of Unknown Americans.
Khaled wished he could tell his father what he had only now realized: that they were all trying to undo something that Hosaam did, hoping that, by their hands or by God’s, fate would change course and all would be well again. But they were damned no matter what they did, not by God, but by a nineteen-year-old boy who had lost the will to live, and, perhaps, by their own failure to see it coming, to prevent disaster rather than scramble in a futile attempt to change the past. First surrender. And then learn to fly.
August 15, 2015
I'm a tad perplexed about all of the five star ratings given to this book. I found it to be good, but not great as many of the other reviewers have claimed. The writing itself was good and I was actually delighted in places by the way the author interspersed sayings that can transcend cultures. However, I feel as though I've read this type of book before concerning a disconnect between America and people from other places who make the choice to settle here...and that it was handled better in those other stories. What was fresh and interesting was the insight into Egyptian culture and life, which was welcome and well done.
September 1, 2015
Still numb from their teen son's suicide/murder, a grieving Egyptian family, living in New Jersey, tries to cope with the upcoming one-year anniversary memorial for his victim, their neighbor's daughter.
I liked this very much at first -- I can't recall ever reading an Egyptian author before (author Hassib now lives full-time in America, I believe). The level of respect in the home for the father/husband, Samir and for the mother/grandmother Ehsan, was different from an American family, for sure. The theme of surrendering and letting go was portrayed really well. The writing had an even, astute, observant feel.
But... I felt that after a good number of pages -- 75 or so, that the points of view meshed with one another -- the mother's (Nagla) inner thoughts and feelings held the same tone, inflection, and vibe as her 17 year-old son's. The same, even, as their much more pride-filled husband/father, Samir.
That sank the book quite a bit for me, and made my enthusiasm wane. I felt I was in a tunnel and couldn't get out. Each gesture, glance, and sigh was observed to such a degree -- from every character -- that I longed for someone to break free -- sucker punch someone, shed their clothes and run through the streets naked, scream at the top of their lungs in a crowded shopping center. Anything so that someone would act rather than feel.
The book is similar to Lauren Grodstein's, A Friend of the Family, which is also very similar to Celest Ng's, Everything I Never Told You. Families facing a crisis -- in Ng's book they are Asian immigrants, in this book Egyptian. In all the books a suicide/or/murder among the kids is the central catalyst.
Grodstein's was my favorite of these -- by far; it outshines pretty much all else. It's a book I still think about, years after reading it.
I liked this very much at first -- I can't recall ever reading an Egyptian author before (author Hassib now lives full-time in America, I believe). The level of respect in the home for the father/husband, Samir and for the mother/grandmother Ehsan, was different from an American family, for sure. The theme of surrendering and letting go was portrayed really well. The writing had an even, astute, observant feel.
But... I felt that after a good number of pages -- 75 or so, that the points of view meshed with one another -- the mother's (Nagla) inner thoughts and feelings held the same tone, inflection, and vibe as her 17 year-old son's. The same, even, as their much more pride-filled husband/father, Samir.
That sank the book quite a bit for me, and made my enthusiasm wane. I felt I was in a tunnel and couldn't get out. Each gesture, glance, and sigh was observed to such a degree -- from every character -- that I longed for someone to break free -- sucker punch someone, shed their clothes and run through the streets naked, scream at the top of their lungs in a crowded shopping center. Anything so that someone would act rather than feel.
The book is similar to Lauren Grodstein's, A Friend of the Family, which is also very similar to Celest Ng's, Everything I Never Told You. Families facing a crisis -- in Ng's book they are Asian immigrants, in this book Egyptian. In all the books a suicide/or/murder among the kids is the central catalyst.
Grodstein's was my favorite of these -- by far; it outshines pretty much all else. It's a book I still think about, years after reading it.
July 8, 2019
This is a well written book. The confusion and difficulty the family goes through, as immigrants in a small town, is wrenching and heartfelt. I think the reasons for the older brother's actions are not convincing or demonstrated enough. And I found the resolution, the climax, to be unsatisfactory.
I'm curious about the author's upcoming book and that's why I read this one first. I'm hoping there's been some more growth and development.
I'm curious about the author's upcoming book and that's why I read this one first. I'm hoping there's been some more growth and development.
June 24, 2016
Well, that was amazing. Deep characters, realistic situations, smooth writing. And, to top it all off, the author lives in my favorite state.
June 1, 2020
The older I get, the more novels about families speak to me. I think it's the realization that comes with age that every family is broken - every family imperfect in some way - that makes me gravitate toward novels that show those damaged families still struggling to live and love and remain together.
The Al-Menshawy family is certainly damaged, and the novel opens at the one-year anniversary of the tragic events that turned their lives upside down. As the reader peels back the layers of this family, we see the ways in which each member carries responsibility for the tragedy, and how they push each other away while simultaneously reaching out for help.
I found myself fully engaged from the very first pages. Will definitely look for more from this author.
The Al-Menshawy family is certainly damaged, and the novel opens at the one-year anniversary of the tragic events that turned their lives upside down. As the reader peels back the layers of this family, we see the ways in which each member carries responsibility for the tragedy, and how they push each other away while simultaneously reaching out for help.
I found myself fully engaged from the very first pages. Will definitely look for more from this author.
December 26, 2017
One of the most devastatingly emotional books I've read in a while. I won't say more, because the blurb tells you everything else you need to know in order to decide whether to read it.
I hope you do.
I hope you do.
April 8, 2016
This book ended up on my Christmas list because I'd seen it compared to by Celeste Ng, which was pretty much my book-boyfriend of last year. I did everything but put a pair of jeans on it and take it out for a candlelit dinner.
(Before you say anything, yes, I realize Christmas was over three months ago, and no, I don't have an excuse for why it's taken me so long to read In the Language of Miracles, other than to say I have a tendency to neglect books I own in favor of e-galleys and library copies that are only available for a limited time. Like lazy high school students everywhere, I work better up against a deadline.)
Having finally cracked the spine, I can confirm the validity of the comparison. Each book centers on a family in the aftermath of tragedy and is sparing with details as to what exactly the tragedy was. Instead, the authors examine what happens when lies are exposed and uncomfortable truths can no longer be ignored. And in both cases, the families crumble under the weight of their respective truth.
Hassib opts to keep so many of the details concealed that her novel wasn't quite as satisfying for me as Ng's. I can deal with ambiguity, but the most interesting character she created is the one we never get to clearly see. And if I'm being honest, there's a part of me that craves closure, that wants to know what “really� happened, and Hassib is coy on that score. Still, if you're a fan of family dramas in particular and literary fiction in general, you'll probably find a lot to like (and a lot to think about) in In the Language of Miracles.
More book recommendations by me at
(Before you say anything, yes, I realize Christmas was over three months ago, and no, I don't have an excuse for why it's taken me so long to read In the Language of Miracles, other than to say I have a tendency to neglect books I own in favor of e-galleys and library copies that are only available for a limited time. Like lazy high school students everywhere, I work better up against a deadline.)
Having finally cracked the spine, I can confirm the validity of the comparison. Each book centers on a family in the aftermath of tragedy and is sparing with details as to what exactly the tragedy was. Instead, the authors examine what happens when lies are exposed and uncomfortable truths can no longer be ignored. And in both cases, the families crumble under the weight of their respective truth.
Hassib opts to keep so many of the details concealed that her novel wasn't quite as satisfying for me as Ng's. I can deal with ambiguity, but the most interesting character she created is the one we never get to clearly see. And if I'm being honest, there's a part of me that craves closure, that wants to know what “really� happened, and Hassib is coy on that score. Still, if you're a fan of family dramas in particular and literary fiction in general, you'll probably find a lot to like (and a lot to think about) in In the Language of Miracles.
More book recommendations by me at
July 5, 2015
This is a beautifully written debut novel that I enjoyed very much. It’s sensitive, lyrical, mesmerizing, suspenseful and heart breaking. A family immigrates from Egypt to America and tries so hard to become a part of their new country. A tragedy caused by one of them sets off a negative reaction to the innocent members of the family. The novel explores grief, survivorship, culture and human relationships, along with our longing for home and a place to belong, in such an honest and heartfelt way.
At the beginning of each chapter, there is a popular saying in America, such as “Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones� and the same saying in Arabic. The sayings were so similar in each of the two conflicting cultures and I thought it was a lovely way of showing the connection between the two ethnic groups in the midst of many differences.
This is a very moving book. From the young Khaled, who struggles to find his own place in the world out of the shadow of his brother to the matriarch of the family, Ehsan, who relies on the old world ways of walking through the home waving a bowl of incense while praying and baking a special bread to take to cemetery visits to give to the poor, each will touch your heart. This is a book you will think about long after you lay it down. I loved it.
This book was given to me by First to Read in exchange for an honest review.
At the beginning of each chapter, there is a popular saying in America, such as “Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones� and the same saying in Arabic. The sayings were so similar in each of the two conflicting cultures and I thought it was a lovely way of showing the connection between the two ethnic groups in the midst of many differences.
This is a very moving book. From the young Khaled, who struggles to find his own place in the world out of the shadow of his brother to the matriarch of the family, Ehsan, who relies on the old world ways of walking through the home waving a bowl of incense while praying and baking a special bread to take to cemetery visits to give to the poor, each will touch your heart. This is a book you will think about long after you lay it down. I loved it.
This book was given to me by First to Read in exchange for an honest review.
January 6, 2016
**(I won this book in a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Giveaway, a First Reads edition, advance copy. Lucky me!)
IN THE LANGUAGE OF MIRACLES is an exquisitely written debut novel by Rajia Hassib. The story follows the Al-Menshawy family in the aftermath of their eldest son's unbalanced and violent act, killing the girlfriend who left him and then himself. The crisis chips at their bonds, as each experiences their own grief and that jointly as a family. The efforts of the Egyptian parents to fit into the American dream are blown apart.
As the community treats them like pariahs and their cultural differences are magnified, the grandmother Ehsan seeks to ground them in the rites and rituals of their Egyptian past. Food has special meaning. An almost mystical belief in the power of Islamic prayer sustains her as she supports the family and story upon story is told to transport to another perfect time in Egypt. With the year anniversary and memorial service for the girl in five days, the family is forced out of their cocoon of denial.
The novel ends with a quiet sorrow, a family with a dawning awareness of how to carry on with the future they have and a sense of resolve.
This is a powerful, moving book. It has a thematic treatment somewhat like the acclaimed novel, "Everything I Never Told You" by Celeste Ng, and is equally as strong. Hassib's voice is entirely her own, and I was deeply moved by what she had to say. I loved this book.
IN THE LANGUAGE OF MIRACLES is an exquisitely written debut novel by Rajia Hassib. The story follows the Al-Menshawy family in the aftermath of their eldest son's unbalanced and violent act, killing the girlfriend who left him and then himself. The crisis chips at their bonds, as each experiences their own grief and that jointly as a family. The efforts of the Egyptian parents to fit into the American dream are blown apart.
As the community treats them like pariahs and their cultural differences are magnified, the grandmother Ehsan seeks to ground them in the rites and rituals of their Egyptian past. Food has special meaning. An almost mystical belief in the power of Islamic prayer sustains her as she supports the family and story upon story is told to transport to another perfect time in Egypt. With the year anniversary and memorial service for the girl in five days, the family is forced out of their cocoon of denial.
The novel ends with a quiet sorrow, a family with a dawning awareness of how to carry on with the future they have and a sense of resolve.
This is a powerful, moving book. It has a thematic treatment somewhat like the acclaimed novel, "Everything I Never Told You" by Celeste Ng, and is equally as strong. Hassib's voice is entirely her own, and I was deeply moved by what she had to say. I loved this book.
July 2, 2015
Rajia Hassib has written a remarkable debut novel. The writing is beautiful, powerful, rich. She does a wonderful job developing her characters and making you care about them. It is the story of an Egyptian American family trying to heal after the oldest son commits a horrible crime. The family have become pariahs in the community - Samir, the father, having patients leave his successful medical practice, the children being bullied at school (by students and teachers alike) and on social media, their house being subjected to vandalism. As the anniversary of the crime approaches, a community memorial service is planned for the victim and tensions (from outside of and from within the family) are once again brought to the surface. So many difficult subjects are tackled within this novel: grief, differences between cultures and generations, religion, and - are we responsible for what our children/siblings do. I was quickly drawn into the story and finished it in two sittings, I would have finished it in one had I not started it so late in the day! I will be looking forward to more books by this wonderful new author!
August 26, 2015
The Language of Miracles by Rajia Hassib
The Al-Menshawy family, originally from Egypt is devastated when their oldest son Hosaam, a recent high school graduate, kills his oldest friend and neighbor Natalie. This books starts a year after the aftermath of a tragedy when family and friends plan a memorial for Natalie. Each chapter starts with the five days leading up to a planned memorial service by the murdered girls parents. Samir Al-Menshawy had been a well-respected doctor in the small town New Jersey and is adamant about going to the memorial saying their presence will show the family’s support but his wife Nagala and children, Klaled and Fatima strongly disagree believing it will only stir up the anti-Muslim that was thrust at them after the murder. The tragedy has isolated each family member from each other and the community at large. Hassib's debut is phenomenal as she tackles the complex emotions of the aftermath of grief with grace. 4.8+
The Al-Menshawy family, originally from Egypt is devastated when their oldest son Hosaam, a recent high school graduate, kills his oldest friend and neighbor Natalie. This books starts a year after the aftermath of a tragedy when family and friends plan a memorial for Natalie. Each chapter starts with the five days leading up to a planned memorial service by the murdered girls parents. Samir Al-Menshawy had been a well-respected doctor in the small town New Jersey and is adamant about going to the memorial saying their presence will show the family’s support but his wife Nagala and children, Klaled and Fatima strongly disagree believing it will only stir up the anti-Muslim that was thrust at them after the murder. The tragedy has isolated each family member from each other and the community at large. Hassib's debut is phenomenal as she tackles the complex emotions of the aftermath of grief with grace. 4.8+
October 4, 2015
As I finished this debut novel, I thought “So what is the big chasm between Christianity and Islam?� So many of the precepts are the same. Dr. Ben Carson should read this book and then explain why a Muslim should not be elected President of the United States. Other presidential candidates should read it and then explain why immigrants are so bad for the US. I look forward to more books by this first-time author. Her writing is beautiful and the relationship of Grandma to the family and the ending showing how important she and her beliefs are even after her death made me close the book smiling through tears. This is an Egyptian immigrant story, a story that could happen to anyone who has a child mentally ill, but the consequences are made worse by the cultural differences in a small town. How do each member deal with their guilt in the suicide of their oldest son/brother who compounded the grief by killing his girlfriend, the daughter of the next-door neighbor as well.
July 14, 2021
Rajia Hassib unexpectedly pulled me in with her novel A Pure Heart, so I couldn't resist buying "In The Language of Miracles" when it showed up on my favourite book-buying website (shoutout to @bookoutlet!!!).
The Al-Menshawy family came from Egypt to settle in America, seeking the American Dream. Over a decade later, they find themselves in a living nightmare: struggling to hold onto themselves and each other in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy that leaves them bereft of their son Hosaam and as outcasts in their neighborhood.
The book most prominently features Nagla - the wife and mother - and Khaled, the younger son. Both of them contend with difficult family dynamics and their relationship with faith, with Nagla's mother stepping in to provide comfort, criticism, and connection to something deeper.
While this is most certainly A Sad Muslamic Book, it is also very well written, thoughtfully exploring an immigrant, Muslim experience.
In particular, I love the title of the book and how it is intimately linked to the Qur’an! (Reference to reciting Ayatul Kursi, various du'as and so on.)
The Al-Menshawy family came from Egypt to settle in America, seeking the American Dream. Over a decade later, they find themselves in a living nightmare: struggling to hold onto themselves and each other in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy that leaves them bereft of their son Hosaam and as outcasts in their neighborhood.
The book most prominently features Nagla - the wife and mother - and Khaled, the younger son. Both of them contend with difficult family dynamics and their relationship with faith, with Nagla's mother stepping in to provide comfort, criticism, and connection to something deeper.
While this is most certainly A Sad Muslamic Book, it is also very well written, thoughtfully exploring an immigrant, Muslim experience.
In particular, I love the title of the book and how it is intimately linked to the Qur’an! (Reference to reciting Ayatul Kursi, various du'as and so on.)
September 23, 2015
Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.
With her debut novel, Rajia Hassib takes us on the journey of an Egyptian American family struggling to get over a family tragedy and how they’re confronting it one year later. I loved the format of a five day timeline because it allowed for the little details to be noticed. The characters were all interesting in how they dealt with their grief, and especially the sort of things they noticed a year later. This novel tells an important message: not all miracles require divine intervention and if the ending result is not what you expected, perhaps it was not what you needed.
The Al-Menshawy family’s eldest son, Hosaam and their neighbour’s daughter Natalie Bradstreet died one year before the novel begins and previous emotions are brought to the surface when their neighbours decide to hold a one-year memorial service for Natalie. As I said, the book is set up in a five day timeline, among flashbacks from the characters. The reader gets to enter the minds of Samir, Nagla and their younger son, Khaled and all three prove to be very different and complex characters.
For Samir, the American Dream is a very important goal because after all, he uproots his family in order to give them a better life in America. With this tragedy, the American Dream starts to crack and we see how that effects Samir on a very emotional level. He’s the type of person to care what others think of him and his family, and when his son suggests moving to a town that doesn’t ostracize them, he’s appalled. Samir considers this to be a cowardly thing and so he’s determined to fix the way the town views his family.
Nagla starts to ask herself all these ‘what if?� questions. She thinks back on the year before the tragic event and for the first time notices things about her son that she originally brushed off. After graduating from high school and becoming distant from his friends, Hosaam had isolated himself in the attic, playing music all the time and not wanting the life his father set out for him. Nagla regrets her actions, or lack of and see’s her son for the first time in a new light. This is all brought on by coming up to the attic to go through her son’s things, which had remained untouched for the last year. With her mother’s encouragement, she begins that next step in overcoming grief because the fact is if we wait until we’re ready, we’d never take the next step.
It was Khaled’s voice that stood out the most. He feels the weight of his brother’s shadow and just wants to be anonymous. Khaled deletes his Facebook account, but later on creates a blog using only his initials K.A. It gets to the point where this blog is an important aspect of his life; with it he feels free and I really connected with that aspect. For me, blogging about books and being social in the book community is a really positive aspect of my life. I could understand Khaled’s feelings. It’s through this blog that Khaled meets Brittany and he’s absolutely terrified that she’ll find out about his brother. So much so, that for a time he won’t tell her what the K stands for. Later on, he relents and tells her because he decides there’s probably a lot of Khaled’s in New York � though he does consider giving her a different name. I could feel Khaled’s fear on a very in-depth level, and I think losing this new friend would also register on the same level as losing a loved one. Khaled is a very well-written character and above all my favourite!
There wasn’t as much dialogue as I expected, so I was slightly thrown off. I did recognize the format from The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker so it wasn’t a completely new thing, but I did like it better in The Golem and the Jinni than this book. However, this did leave lots of room for the characters to reflect and as a reader, I was fully and completely in their heads. This novel wants you to notice the details and I can agree this is an important device.
I loved that at the beginning of each chapter was an english quote and an equivalent translated from arabic. I’ve included my favourite ones below:
English: Birds of a feather flock together
Arabic: Birds fall upon those similar to them (chapter 5)
English: Rest in peace
Arabic: Death is rest (chapter 17)
English: If your house is made of glass, do not throw stones at others.
Arabic: He whose house is made of glass should not throw stones at others. (chapter 18)
As you can see, for some of these the message remains virtually the same while for others, one or two words are different and the message seems to change completely. I felt including these quotes seemed almost like a foreshadowing or indirect message about how the Al-Menshawy family grieves compared to the Bradstreets. Some practices remain the same while others are entirely different. This can also be applied to the individual family members of the Al-Menshawy household. All have experienced the same tragedy, but the way they deal with their grief is completely different as well as the way they intend to move forward.
When Nagla’s mother, Ehsan hears about the Bradstreets having a memorial service for Natalie, she encourages the family to do similar things for Hosaam. Through Ehsan, the reader learns about arabic funeral practices. My favourite would have to be the wailing woman, a woman � a complete stranger � is hired to attend a funeral and wail throughout the service! Then she has the family making shoreik, a pastry meant to bring mercy to the dead, which of course made me very hungry! I’d love for Ehsan to come to my house and bake all the delicious foods she makes in the novel because they all sounded amazing.
Surprisingly, the ending was not what I expected, but I agree with the way Hassib chose to end it. It fit better with the overall message. Hassib is an exceptional storyteller of complex characters and I’m excited for her next project! In the Language of Miracles is a narrative of human emotion and succeeds in giving a comprehensive account of a family trying to overcome grief.
With her debut novel, Rajia Hassib takes us on the journey of an Egyptian American family struggling to get over a family tragedy and how they’re confronting it one year later. I loved the format of a five day timeline because it allowed for the little details to be noticed. The characters were all interesting in how they dealt with their grief, and especially the sort of things they noticed a year later. This novel tells an important message: not all miracles require divine intervention and if the ending result is not what you expected, perhaps it was not what you needed.
The Al-Menshawy family’s eldest son, Hosaam and their neighbour’s daughter Natalie Bradstreet died one year before the novel begins and previous emotions are brought to the surface when their neighbours decide to hold a one-year memorial service for Natalie. As I said, the book is set up in a five day timeline, among flashbacks from the characters. The reader gets to enter the minds of Samir, Nagla and their younger son, Khaled and all three prove to be very different and complex characters.
For Samir, the American Dream is a very important goal because after all, he uproots his family in order to give them a better life in America. With this tragedy, the American Dream starts to crack and we see how that effects Samir on a very emotional level. He’s the type of person to care what others think of him and his family, and when his son suggests moving to a town that doesn’t ostracize them, he’s appalled. Samir considers this to be a cowardly thing and so he’s determined to fix the way the town views his family.
Nagla starts to ask herself all these ‘what if?� questions. She thinks back on the year before the tragic event and for the first time notices things about her son that she originally brushed off. After graduating from high school and becoming distant from his friends, Hosaam had isolated himself in the attic, playing music all the time and not wanting the life his father set out for him. Nagla regrets her actions, or lack of and see’s her son for the first time in a new light. This is all brought on by coming up to the attic to go through her son’s things, which had remained untouched for the last year. With her mother’s encouragement, she begins that next step in overcoming grief because the fact is if we wait until we’re ready, we’d never take the next step.
It was Khaled’s voice that stood out the most. He feels the weight of his brother’s shadow and just wants to be anonymous. Khaled deletes his Facebook account, but later on creates a blog using only his initials K.A. It gets to the point where this blog is an important aspect of his life; with it he feels free and I really connected with that aspect. For me, blogging about books and being social in the book community is a really positive aspect of my life. I could understand Khaled’s feelings. It’s through this blog that Khaled meets Brittany and he’s absolutely terrified that she’ll find out about his brother. So much so, that for a time he won’t tell her what the K stands for. Later on, he relents and tells her because he decides there’s probably a lot of Khaled’s in New York � though he does consider giving her a different name. I could feel Khaled’s fear on a very in-depth level, and I think losing this new friend would also register on the same level as losing a loved one. Khaled is a very well-written character and above all my favourite!
There wasn’t as much dialogue as I expected, so I was slightly thrown off. I did recognize the format from The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker so it wasn’t a completely new thing, but I did like it better in The Golem and the Jinni than this book. However, this did leave lots of room for the characters to reflect and as a reader, I was fully and completely in their heads. This novel wants you to notice the details and I can agree this is an important device.
I loved that at the beginning of each chapter was an english quote and an equivalent translated from arabic. I’ve included my favourite ones below:
English: Birds of a feather flock together
Arabic: Birds fall upon those similar to them (chapter 5)
English: Rest in peace
Arabic: Death is rest (chapter 17)
English: If your house is made of glass, do not throw stones at others.
Arabic: He whose house is made of glass should not throw stones at others. (chapter 18)
As you can see, for some of these the message remains virtually the same while for others, one or two words are different and the message seems to change completely. I felt including these quotes seemed almost like a foreshadowing or indirect message about how the Al-Menshawy family grieves compared to the Bradstreets. Some practices remain the same while others are entirely different. This can also be applied to the individual family members of the Al-Menshawy household. All have experienced the same tragedy, but the way they deal with their grief is completely different as well as the way they intend to move forward.
When Nagla’s mother, Ehsan hears about the Bradstreets having a memorial service for Natalie, she encourages the family to do similar things for Hosaam. Through Ehsan, the reader learns about arabic funeral practices. My favourite would have to be the wailing woman, a woman � a complete stranger � is hired to attend a funeral and wail throughout the service! Then she has the family making shoreik, a pastry meant to bring mercy to the dead, which of course made me very hungry! I’d love for Ehsan to come to my house and bake all the delicious foods she makes in the novel because they all sounded amazing.
Surprisingly, the ending was not what I expected, but I agree with the way Hassib chose to end it. It fit better with the overall message. Hassib is an exceptional storyteller of complex characters and I’m excited for her next project! In the Language of Miracles is a narrative of human emotion and succeeds in giving a comprehensive account of a family trying to overcome grief.
September 14, 2015
It's totally okay to pass up this novel. Better luck on the second novel....
This was a debut novel by the author and the story sounding like it could be good, but it was just not. The novel takes place a year after 2 horrible, violent deaths that occurred in the town between two neighbors that had grown up together. One is an Egyptian-American boy,Hosaam, who grew up with the other victim, and loved her, the neighbor Natalie. A year after their deaths the families are still ignoring each other and hurting from what happened, but the town has turned against Hosaam's family and as the one year anniversary of the deaths come up Hosaam's family wants to make amends, whereas the town (and most of Hosaam's family) just want to leave the town.
The story is confusing because there are far more questions at the end of the novel than answers, a sure sign that this was NOT a good story. During the novel the narrator changes, and not in a consistent fluid way at all. The beginning of the novel we're mostly hearing from Nagla (the mother) and Samir (the father) and then it seems a little more than mid-way we only really hear from Khaled (the middle son). Why don't we ever hear from Fatima (the youngest and only sister)? Or Ehsem, the grandmother? Inconsistent nonsensical narrators do not make a good novel.
Then, we NEVER really get the full story of why the crime happened or what was going on in Hosaam's life; is this tight-knit family really that damn oblivious to the goings on of each other? That's just disappointing and says more about the LACK of parenting and involvement with their eldest son. When we are hearing from Khaled most of the time in my head all I am hearing is "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha" where he is just seeming very much like the whiny middle child who is mad because he doesn't get attention from mommy and daddy....yet, he is grandma's BLATANT favorite and he consistently disappears from the family to run to NYC (they live in New Jersey) to see a female friend 4+ years his senior who he's in love with but seems to hardly speak to. It does not make sense.
All in all the novel was horrible enough for me to throw to the side and not finish because I had high hopes that it would get better....instead I was sorely disappointed. It ends during a big buildup and then the epilogue is 6 or 7 years later with no real explanation of what happened right after the incident from the chapter prior. It's like the author got bored and wanted to finish her story, which in some ways is maybe a good thing because this novel was so annoying, inconsistent and boring that I do not know that I could read much more of it. Such high hopes for this novel and VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED!
This was a debut novel by the author and the story sounding like it could be good, but it was just not. The novel takes place a year after 2 horrible, violent deaths that occurred in the town between two neighbors that had grown up together. One is an Egyptian-American boy,Hosaam, who grew up with the other victim, and loved her, the neighbor Natalie. A year after their deaths the families are still ignoring each other and hurting from what happened, but the town has turned against Hosaam's family and as the one year anniversary of the deaths come up Hosaam's family wants to make amends, whereas the town (and most of Hosaam's family) just want to leave the town.
The story is confusing because there are far more questions at the end of the novel than answers, a sure sign that this was NOT a good story. During the novel the narrator changes, and not in a consistent fluid way at all. The beginning of the novel we're mostly hearing from Nagla (the mother) and Samir (the father) and then it seems a little more than mid-way we only really hear from Khaled (the middle son). Why don't we ever hear from Fatima (the youngest and only sister)? Or Ehsem, the grandmother? Inconsistent nonsensical narrators do not make a good novel.
Then, we NEVER really get the full story of why the crime happened or what was going on in Hosaam's life; is this tight-knit family really that damn oblivious to the goings on of each other? That's just disappointing and says more about the LACK of parenting and involvement with their eldest son. When we are hearing from Khaled most of the time in my head all I am hearing is "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha" where he is just seeming very much like the whiny middle child who is mad because he doesn't get attention from mommy and daddy....yet, he is grandma's BLATANT favorite and he consistently disappears from the family to run to NYC (they live in New Jersey) to see a female friend 4+ years his senior who he's in love with but seems to hardly speak to. It does not make sense.
All in all the novel was horrible enough for me to throw to the side and not finish because I had high hopes that it would get better....instead I was sorely disappointed. It ends during a big buildup and then the epilogue is 6 or 7 years later with no real explanation of what happened right after the incident from the chapter prior. It's like the author got bored and wanted to finish her story, which in some ways is maybe a good thing because this novel was so annoying, inconsistent and boring that I do not know that I could read much more of it. Such high hopes for this novel and VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED!
October 13, 2015
Strong debut novel centered on an unfortunate and all too reoccurring topic in the United States. Hassib takes the reader into the family of the Al-Menshawys, immigrants from Egypt, living in Summerset, New Jersey, as they process and grieve the death of their son Hosaam, his atrocious act of violence, the death of their neighbor's daughter, Natalie Bradstreet, and their shame and ostracization in the community. Samir is a successful family physician. His wife, Nagla, has had less exposure to American culture. Their children, Khaled (middle child) and Fatima are close to model children. Ehsan, maternal grandmother, is living with the family one year after the death of Hosaam.
The novel is set in the five days leading up to a memorial service for Natalie and the emotions of each of the Al-Menshawys family members is examined individually and collectively. Nagla questions what signs she missed in her son over the past year. Samir struggles with his professional role in the community. Nagla struggles with Samir's dominate role and the expected tradition to succumb to male dominance in the family and culture. Khaled and Fatima try to move on with their lives. The family struggles with suicide and all of the unresolved and unanswerable questions confronting the family.
Of all the characters, my heart felt the most empathy for Samir. The shame brought on the family by Hosaam was not the intended outcome he worked so hard to build for his family in America. No family is perfect, but the remaining Al-Menshawys did not commit the act of violence yet the community punishes them for the action. Is the anger exasperated by racism?
Hisaam's actions were premeditated. The novel forces the reader to think of the randomness of these acts by individuals. We learn little about Hosaam other than he had a dark side and there were some subtle clues to his personality change. At times this could be interpreted as adolescent moodiness. Often within the life of a family, these subtle clues are not recognized or dismissed for a host of reasons. The aftermath of the actions by one individual forever damage the lives of those left behind.
The novel is set in the five days leading up to a memorial service for Natalie and the emotions of each of the Al-Menshawys family members is examined individually and collectively. Nagla questions what signs she missed in her son over the past year. Samir struggles with his professional role in the community. Nagla struggles with Samir's dominate role and the expected tradition to succumb to male dominance in the family and culture. Khaled and Fatima try to move on with their lives. The family struggles with suicide and all of the unresolved and unanswerable questions confronting the family.
Of all the characters, my heart felt the most empathy for Samir. The shame brought on the family by Hosaam was not the intended outcome he worked so hard to build for his family in America. No family is perfect, but the remaining Al-Menshawys did not commit the act of violence yet the community punishes them for the action. Is the anger exasperated by racism?
Hisaam's actions were premeditated. The novel forces the reader to think of the randomness of these acts by individuals. We learn little about Hosaam other than he had a dark side and there were some subtle clues to his personality change. At times this could be interpreted as adolescent moodiness. Often within the life of a family, these subtle clues are not recognized or dismissed for a host of reasons. The aftermath of the actions by one individual forever damage the lives of those left behind.
October 4, 2016
Khaled and his family are still reeling as they approach the one-year anniversary of the date his brother committed a violent act. Their continued grief over his death and guilt for all the ways they let him (and each other) down conspire to make a very tense household. The tension gets even worse when they learn about a memorial service planned for the anniversary...and Khaled's father indicates that he is not only determined to attend (when the rest of the family believes they will not be welcome) but also to give a speech. Told from the perspectives of Khaled, his mother Nagla, and his father Samir, and heavily featuring Khaled's grandmother and sister, this is primarily a story of how a family copes with their individual grief and guilt, and how they eventually come together as a family again.
I found this story interesting, and it was a quick read. I enjoyed it, but I never felt especially connected with it - I never felt drawn in. That's why I didn't give it 4 stars. My favorite character was the grandmother, Ehsan, who figures prominently in the narrative - I feel like I would have connected more with a first-person narrative from her perspective.
I found this story interesting, and it was a quick read. I enjoyed it, but I never felt especially connected with it - I never felt drawn in. That's why I didn't give it 4 stars. My favorite character was the grandmother, Ehsan, who figures prominently in the narrative - I feel like I would have connected more with a first-person narrative from her perspective.
September 7, 2015
“What happens to a family when one of its members perpetrates an unspeakable act of violence? How do you grieve for a loved one who has committed both murder and suicide? How does the local community react? What if the family in question is Muslim? Is that a game changer?� These thought provoking questions are asked by the author through her story of an Egyptian family, living in the suburbs of New Jersey, when their teenage son murders his American girlfriend and then kills himself. I found my heart going out to all the characters. A beautifully written and powerful debut novel.
November 1, 2016
Hassib is a wonderful storyteller. Her writing pulls you in and immerses you in the life of a family struggling to come to grips with a tragedy that should be personal but that becomes public. This novel shines a light on difficulties Muslims in America face in a way that is not preachy or overbearing.
August 21, 2015
One of my favorite books. Highly recommended read on family, community, and identity.
February 28, 2021
4.5 stars
An amazing debut novel about an Egyptian American family trying to find their place in a small town outside of NYC in a post-9/11 world.
This book centers around the Al-Menshawy family in the days leading up to the one year anniversary of a horrific crime committed by the eldest son.
Hassib serves up an emotional work that tackles how people handle their grief both privately and publicly. She also provides insight into the cultural differences between Americans and Muslims that gave me pause. Understanding and accepting those differences is necessary if we’re ever to move forward as a multi-cultural nation.
I also relished the details about baklava, eggplant dishes, and Turkish coffee. It’s those little details that really make a family story come to life for me.
Hassib had me feeling all the feels and I look forward to reading her next book.
An amazing debut novel about an Egyptian American family trying to find their place in a small town outside of NYC in a post-9/11 world.
This book centers around the Al-Menshawy family in the days leading up to the one year anniversary of a horrific crime committed by the eldest son.
Hassib serves up an emotional work that tackles how people handle their grief both privately and publicly. She also provides insight into the cultural differences between Americans and Muslims that gave me pause. Understanding and accepting those differences is necessary if we’re ever to move forward as a multi-cultural nation.
I also relished the details about baklava, eggplant dishes, and Turkish coffee. It’s those little details that really make a family story come to life for me.
Hassib had me feeling all the feels and I look forward to reading her next book.
June 15, 2018
I loved the narration style--it was profound to receive such a limited point of view from each character, yet never have an omniscient narrator tell the "truth." The story was engrossing, but there were just too many missing pieces or undeveloped pieces for me. Hosaam's obvious mental illness should have played a bigger part, yet maybe Hassib is making a point that we as a society will lay blame to things other than mental illness, and our blame gets misplaced? I still felt like mental illness needed to hold a more finite role than it did. I also felt the lines were blurred between viewing the Al-Menshawys as dangerous Muslim-Americans OR as dangerous because of their son's actions. The focus on racial tensions could have been illuminated as I felt much more of the story relied on Hosaam's actions rather than his being. However, it was an engaging story, and I flew through it even though it was required reading--very enjoyable!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.