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Against the Loveless World
A sweeping and lyrical novel that follows a young Palestinian refugee as she slowly becomes radicalized while searching for a better life for her family throughout the Middle East, for readers of international literary bestsellers including Washington Black; My Sister, The Serial Killer; and Her Body and Other Parties.
As Nahr sits, locked away in solitary confinement, she spends her days reflecting on the dramatic events that landed her in prison in a country she barely knows. Born in Kuwait in the 70s to Palestinian refugees, she dreamed of falling in love with the perfect man, raising children, and possibly opening her own beauty salon. Instead, the man she thinks she loves jilts her after a brief marriage, her family teeters on the brink of poverty, she鈥檚 forced to prostitute herself, and the US invasion of Iraq makes her a refugee, as her parents had been. After trekking through another temporary home in Jordan, she lands in Palestine, where she finally makes a home, falls in love, and her destiny unfolds under Israeli occupation.
As Nahr sits, locked away in solitary confinement, she spends her days reflecting on the dramatic events that landed her in prison in a country she barely knows. Born in Kuwait in the 70s to Palestinian refugees, she dreamed of falling in love with the perfect man, raising children, and possibly opening her own beauty salon. Instead, the man she thinks she loves jilts her after a brief marriage, her family teeters on the brink of poverty, she鈥檚 forced to prostitute herself, and the US invasion of Iraq makes her a refugee, as her parents had been. After trekking through another temporary home in Jordan, she lands in Palestine, where she finally makes a home, falls in love, and her destiny unfolds under Israeli occupation.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published April 19, 2019
1,885 people are currently reading
68.6k people want to read
About the author
Susan Abulhawa
9听books5,266听followersAlso Susan Abulhawa
(Arabic: )
susan abulhawa was born to refugees of the 1967 war when Israel captured what remained of Palestine, including Jerusalem. She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her daughter. She is the founder and President of Playgrounds for Palestine, a children鈥檚 organization dedicated to upholding The Right to Play for Palestinian children. Her debut novel, Mornings in Jenin, was an international bestseller, translated into 30 languages. Her second novel, The Blue Between Sky and Water, was likewise a bestseller, translated into 20 languages. The reach of her books and volume of her readership have made abulhawa one of the most widely read Arab authors in the world. Her latest novel, Against the Loveless World is out August 25, 2020.
(Arabic: )
susan abulhawa was born to refugees of the 1967 war when Israel captured what remained of Palestine, including Jerusalem. She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her daughter. She is the founder and President of Playgrounds for Palestine, a children鈥檚 organization dedicated to upholding The Right to Play for Palestinian children. Her debut novel, Mornings in Jenin, was an international bestseller, translated into 30 languages. Her second novel, The Blue Between Sky and Water, was likewise a bestseller, translated into 20 languages. The reach of her books and volume of her readership have made abulhawa one of the most widely read Arab authors in the world. Her latest novel, Against the Loveless World is out August 25, 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,992 reviews
December 26, 2021
i love Nahr.
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December 22, 2024truly feels like you're living an entire life of war and turmoil in the eyes of a political prisoner. it's not a nonfiction book, but it might as well be for how palestinians survive. i appreciate the main character's grit and ferocity. girl has been through SO MUCH.
June 17, 2020
Susan Abulhawa writes a blend of fact and fiction, epic storytelling amidst the landscape of a conflict ridden and war torn Middle East, from the unashamed and unapologetic perspective of the Palestinian experience and struggle, of the suffering under the deadly Israeli occupation and resistance. Nahr, a political prisoner, is incarcerated in the harsh conditions of The Cube, a prison where time has ceased to have any meanng, in solitary confinement, where she narrates the life journey, the path she walked that led to her present predicament, her family, the countries she passed through from Kuwait, Jordan, losing faith in love and men, and eventually finding a sense of home and belonging in Palestine. Along the way, there has been great horrors, pain, terrors, becoming a refugee, having to do what ever it takes to survive, including prostitution and eventually joining the resistance.
Despite a dark and disturbing narrative, there is humour and hope, and eye opening insights into Palestinian culture with rich descriptions and details. This is a far from perfect read, Nahr is an amalgam of the real life experiences of more than one woman, weakening the coherence of her character, but this does not detract from the importance of this beautiful, well written novel, giving readers a glimpse and much needed knowledge of the grim realities, complexities, and injustices of the Palestinian occupation and the Middle East from the perspective of a woman. Many thanks to Bloomsbury for an ARC.
Despite a dark and disturbing narrative, there is humour and hope, and eye opening insights into Palestinian culture with rich descriptions and details. This is a far from perfect read, Nahr is an amalgam of the real life experiences of more than one woman, weakening the coherence of her character, but this does not detract from the importance of this beautiful, well written novel, giving readers a glimpse and much needed knowledge of the grim realities, complexities, and injustices of the Palestinian occupation and the Middle East from the perspective of a woman. Many thanks to Bloomsbury for an ARC.
May 11, 2022
will I ever read anything this good ever again??? an absolutely magnificent portrait of struggle, triumph, survival, liberation, violence, and joy. long live the Palestinian liberation movement! free all political prisoners! love and communism will win!
January 7, 2021
This is how you do it. Start the year with 5猸愶笍
What a stunning story told by Nahr, a woman who reflects on her past from a cell which is also known as the cube in Israel, as a political prisoner.
The crisis of being Palestinian and a woman in Kuwait, then being forced out into Palestine. Trying to develop her own sense of identity. Believing at a young age that marriage would be the answer only to find it wasn鈥檛 .
This is a about the challenges of living in occupied lands, being a female where women are not treated equally, about homosexuality and the stigma that surrounds it, about work that is less dignified but empowering when one can call the shots. Its about finding an identity and belonging; about finding love, forgiveness, hope and the power of friendship.
And it was a great one to begin the year with!
What a stunning story told by Nahr, a woman who reflects on her past from a cell which is also known as the cube in Israel, as a political prisoner.
The crisis of being Palestinian and a woman in Kuwait, then being forced out into Palestine. Trying to develop her own sense of identity. Believing at a young age that marriage would be the answer only to find it wasn鈥檛 .
This is a about the challenges of living in occupied lands, being a female where women are not treated equally, about homosexuality and the stigma that surrounds it, about work that is less dignified but empowering when one can call the shots. Its about finding an identity and belonging; about finding love, forgiveness, hope and the power of friendship.
And it was a great one to begin the year with!
September 20, 2020
Impactful and Haunting. There are a few books that have haunted me through the years, books that when I hear the titles take me right back. This will join that very short list. Nahr is such a complete character, we understand her thoughts, her actions, whether we agree with them or not. We first meet her in the cube, a new form of solitary confinement, she is now middle aged and reflecting on her last life. This will take the reader from Palestine, to Kuwait, to Jordan and back to Palestine.
She is an ordinary girl, friends, loving family, querulous grandmother, until events occur that are not in her control. Nations intervene and move people around that chess pieces, taking away homes, lives, and suppressing those who fight back. We've seen this time and time again, in many countries, but this focuses on Isreal and Palestine. It is heartbreaking and shows how those who are losing everything try to do, fight back with what little is available to them.
It is also a book about women, how they fare in times of conflict, what they are forced to do for survival of themselves and their families. A poignant look at a young woman caught up in the cross hairs of history and a conflict up that is still ongoing. It us hard not to be moved by her story.
ARC from Edelweiss.
She is an ordinary girl, friends, loving family, querulous grandmother, until events occur that are not in her control. Nations intervene and move people around that chess pieces, taking away homes, lives, and suppressing those who fight back. We've seen this time and time again, in many countries, but this focuses on Isreal and Palestine. It is heartbreaking and shows how those who are losing everything try to do, fight back with what little is available to them.
It is also a book about women, how they fare in times of conflict, what they are forced to do for survival of themselves and their families. A poignant look at a young woman caught up in the cross hairs of history and a conflict up that is still ongoing. It us hard not to be moved by her story.
ARC from Edelweiss.
November 14, 2023
But I know now that going from place to place is just something exiles have to do. Whatever the reason, the earth is never steady beneath our feet.
Me? Crying? Absolutely.
Painful. Beautiful. Aching. Raw. Real.
This is the story of Nahr as well as many others, a fictional story interwoven with knowledge fulfilling real life. Nahr鈥檚 story is worth telling and worth showing, a depiction of what it鈥檚 like to not be able to live in your own country, in peace, without worrying about the next time you鈥檒l be forced to leave. Sisterhood, friendship, love, betrayal, anguish, heartbreak, abuse, assault, violence, freedom, liberty, prostitution, lies, family, rage, war, hope, resistance鈥攖hese are just some themes this book incorporates and shows.
Susan鈥檚 writing is poignant. The author shows emotion in every scene, every dialogue. Nahr is not just a fictional narrator; she鈥檚 telling us a person鈥檚 story, similar to that of a journal, recalling the good and the bad, and we are easily drawn into her story. The writing can feel monotonous sometimes, a little robotic, with abrupt ends and changes. Regardless, it piqued my interest. Sometimes chapters and sentences end in a sort of cliffhanger, urging the reader to continue reading, becoming curious enough to find out what happens next. Told through Nahr鈥檚 perspective as she鈥檚 locked in an Israeli prison, it shows multiple intimate moments of her life, as if we鈥檙e being introducers to some privacy we should respect. Sometimes it feels thrilling, even, as I wanted to know more and more. I really liked the set-up the author chose to write this in, as well, such as giving us a perspective of Nahr in The Cube (prison) before the new part started. It raised my curiosity to continue reading to find out how Nahr ended up where she is.
Nahr is one of my favorite women in literature鈥攃ourageous, resilient, revolutionary, but still vulnerable, kind-hearted, and willing to do anything for her families sake. She鈥檚 good-natured, with good intentions, but knows there鈥檚 no point in good acts. She gets up when pushed down; she stands up for herself when insulted; she鈥檚 sassy when necessary. Born in Kuwait after her family became refugees from Palestine, she carried part of her family鈥檚 trauma, part of her own, and used it to conquer her own destiny until that was also taken from her. I loved her strength, dignity, and willingness to never back down. I loved her knowledge of her self-worth, even during her toughest times of shame, and her attitude to those who fought her.
This is not so much about what is going on in Israel and Palestine as a whole but also about how Palestinian鈥檚 are generally surviving. It鈥檚 not a non-fiction book, but it might as well be. It鈥檚 not a book of entire facts and knowledge, but it still has relevant information. Even though it鈥檚 easy to say these fictional characters and events are indeed fictional, it does show the reality of Palestine. The thing about these stories is that there will always be two sides鈥攖hose who agree and feel in support, and those who oppose it, who disagree. 滨鈥檓 not here to say how one should feel and how they shouldn鈥檛, but if I wasn鈥檛 believing in Palestine鈥檚 freedom before, I would now.
I cannot lie and say that these are the types of books I usually read, because we know I don鈥檛. I become interested in these types of stories after the world sees the news. It鈥檚 a little selfish, but I don鈥檛 always read to learn, and instead I read to escape reality, to enjoy an unrealistic and fictional tale. That is why I wouldn鈥檛 say this book is enjoyable. There isn鈥檛 enjoyment in reading about women getting raped, children getting killed, about people becoming exiled, about settlers and colonialism. It鈥檚 not supposed to be enjoyable but it鈥檚 supposed to be eye-opening and uncomfortable. The story is still worthy of all the praise, and I can confidently say this even taught me some new things.
Thank you Susan for being a Palestinian voice for many who can鈥檛.
馃咙馃嚫
I indulge an illicit fantasy of a world that would have allowed us to simply live, raise children, hold jobs, move freely on earth, and grow old together. I allow myself to imagine that the dignities of home and freedom might be the purview of the wretched of this earth. Bilal and I would be in a place like this, perhaps hiking with at least one grown child, a teenage girl. Her father would teach her the names and benefits of all the plants we鈥檇 encounter. I would listen to stories of her life鈥攈er friends, romantic interests, dreams, and plans. We would eat together as a family and go home tired after a long day of being whole and free on earth. I feel the loss of what we never had, and it feels good to know that my heart stirs.
Me? Crying? Absolutely.
Painful. Beautiful. Aching. Raw. Real.
This is the story of Nahr as well as many others, a fictional story interwoven with knowledge fulfilling real life. Nahr鈥檚 story is worth telling and worth showing, a depiction of what it鈥檚 like to not be able to live in your own country, in peace, without worrying about the next time you鈥檒l be forced to leave. Sisterhood, friendship, love, betrayal, anguish, heartbreak, abuse, assault, violence, freedom, liberty, prostitution, lies, family, rage, war, hope, resistance鈥攖hese are just some themes this book incorporates and shows.
Susan鈥檚 writing is poignant. The author shows emotion in every scene, every dialogue. Nahr is not just a fictional narrator; she鈥檚 telling us a person鈥檚 story, similar to that of a journal, recalling the good and the bad, and we are easily drawn into her story. The writing can feel monotonous sometimes, a little robotic, with abrupt ends and changes. Regardless, it piqued my interest. Sometimes chapters and sentences end in a sort of cliffhanger, urging the reader to continue reading, becoming curious enough to find out what happens next. Told through Nahr鈥檚 perspective as she鈥檚 locked in an Israeli prison, it shows multiple intimate moments of her life, as if we鈥檙e being introducers to some privacy we should respect. Sometimes it feels thrilling, even, as I wanted to know more and more. I really liked the set-up the author chose to write this in, as well, such as giving us a perspective of Nahr in The Cube (prison) before the new part started. It raised my curiosity to continue reading to find out how Nahr ended up where she is.
Nahr is one of my favorite women in literature鈥攃ourageous, resilient, revolutionary, but still vulnerable, kind-hearted, and willing to do anything for her families sake. She鈥檚 good-natured, with good intentions, but knows there鈥檚 no point in good acts. She gets up when pushed down; she stands up for herself when insulted; she鈥檚 sassy when necessary. Born in Kuwait after her family became refugees from Palestine, she carried part of her family鈥檚 trauma, part of her own, and used it to conquer her own destiny until that was also taken from her. I loved her strength, dignity, and willingness to never back down. I loved her knowledge of her self-worth, even during her toughest times of shame, and her attitude to those who fought her.
This is not so much about what is going on in Israel and Palestine as a whole but also about how Palestinian鈥檚 are generally surviving. It鈥檚 not a non-fiction book, but it might as well be. It鈥檚 not a book of entire facts and knowledge, but it still has relevant information. Even though it鈥檚 easy to say these fictional characters and events are indeed fictional, it does show the reality of Palestine. The thing about these stories is that there will always be two sides鈥攖hose who agree and feel in support, and those who oppose it, who disagree. 滨鈥檓 not here to say how one should feel and how they shouldn鈥檛, but if I wasn鈥檛 believing in Palestine鈥檚 freedom before, I would now.
I cannot lie and say that these are the types of books I usually read, because we know I don鈥檛. I become interested in these types of stories after the world sees the news. It鈥檚 a little selfish, but I don鈥檛 always read to learn, and instead I read to escape reality, to enjoy an unrealistic and fictional tale. That is why I wouldn鈥檛 say this book is enjoyable. There isn鈥檛 enjoyment in reading about women getting raped, children getting killed, about people becoming exiled, about settlers and colonialism. It鈥檚 not supposed to be enjoyable but it鈥檚 supposed to be eye-opening and uncomfortable. The story is still worthy of all the praise, and I can confidently say this even taught me some new things.
Thank you Susan for being a Palestinian voice for many who can鈥檛.
馃咙馃嚫
I indulge an illicit fantasy of a world that would have allowed us to simply live, raise children, hold jobs, move freely on earth, and grow old together. I allow myself to imagine that the dignities of home and freedom might be the purview of the wretched of this earth. Bilal and I would be in a place like this, perhaps hiking with at least one grown child, a teenage girl. Her father would teach her the names and benefits of all the plants we鈥檇 encounter. I would listen to stories of her life鈥攈er friends, romantic interests, dreams, and plans. We would eat together as a family and go home tired after a long day of being whole and free on earth. I feel the loss of what we never had, and it feels good to know that my heart stirs.
May 3, 2024
鈥淭o survive by loving each other means to love our ancestors too. To know their pain, struggles, and joys. It means to love our collective memory, who we are, where we come from鈥�
Brief Summary-
Against the Loveless World is a fictional story inspired by the Palestinian experience. Nahr is locked in The Cube, a new type of solitary confinement prison created by the Israeli government. Nahr tells you her story in detail how she ended up in this cube. Despite the darkness, Nahr's humour and sarcasm brings light and hope to the story. Brave and unapologetic, Nahr is a complex character whom I will never forget.
Content Warnings:
Rape
Sexual Assault
Torture
My Thoughts-
This book absolutely gutted me. I went through a whirlwind of emotions. There are a million things I want to write about this story but, I am at a loss for words. There is a lot of Middle Eastern history, politics and culture explored. This book is nothing short of extraordinary. This book is is eye-opening and thought-provoking.It is a story of found family and complicated relationships. You can learn something from every single one of the characters in this book. The writing in this story was beautiful. The book was written in such a way that while the book was emotional at times it was hard to put down. There are a few book that leave a mark on your soul, and this was a book I鈥檒l remember for a lifetime.
I encourage everyone that can read this book give it a try. Im just going to sit and stare at the ceiling with tears in my eyes for a little while.
鈥淚 colonized the colonizer鈥檚 space of authority. I made myself free in chains and held that courtroom captive to my freedom.鈥�
A special shout out to my beautiful friend Misty for putting this book on my radar. 馃槶馃挅
Brief Summary-
Against the Loveless World is a fictional story inspired by the Palestinian experience. Nahr is locked in The Cube, a new type of solitary confinement prison created by the Israeli government. Nahr tells you her story in detail how she ended up in this cube. Despite the darkness, Nahr's humour and sarcasm brings light and hope to the story. Brave and unapologetic, Nahr is a complex character whom I will never forget.
Content Warnings:
Rape
Sexual Assault
Torture
My Thoughts-
This book absolutely gutted me. I went through a whirlwind of emotions. There are a million things I want to write about this story but, I am at a loss for words. There is a lot of Middle Eastern history, politics and culture explored. This book is nothing short of extraordinary. This book is is eye-opening and thought-provoking.It is a story of found family and complicated relationships. You can learn something from every single one of the characters in this book. The writing in this story was beautiful. The book was written in such a way that while the book was emotional at times it was hard to put down. There are a few book that leave a mark on your soul, and this was a book I鈥檒l remember for a lifetime.
I encourage everyone that can read this book give it a try. Im just going to sit and stare at the ceiling with tears in my eyes for a little while.
鈥淚 colonized the colonizer鈥檚 space of authority. I made myself free in chains and held that courtroom captive to my freedom.鈥�
A special shout out to my beautiful friend Misty for putting this book on my radar. 馃槶馃挅
May 17, 2023
4.4 Rating
Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa
384 pages. First published April 19, 2019
Palestine Book Awards 2020 Creative Award Winner
Aspen Words Literary Prize Finalist
Playgrounds for Palestine founder
Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa
384 pages. First published April 19, 2019
Palestine Book Awards 2020 Creative Award Winner
Aspen Words Literary Prize Finalist
Playgrounds for Palestine founder
May 17, 2023
鈥淎gainst the Loveless World鈥� illuminates the struggles of people in war torn countries. Narrator Nahr is a Palestinian woman living in Kuwait during the Gulf war and resistance in Palestine. She lives with her mother, brother and grandmother after her husband abandoned her (the reader learns the reason later in the story). Her brother has dreams of becoming a doctor, but the family is poor. She inadvertently falls into high-end prostitution. She enjoys the power of her body, and she really enjoys financially benefitting her family.
Nahr鈥檚 narration is reflective and 鈥渜uiet鈥�. This is a powerful story of a family living through war and instability. The reader sees the perspective of the destruction caused by the United States involvement in the Gulf War. For Nahr, Saddam Hussein is her hero.
The story shifts from her current situation in 鈥渢he Cube鈥� which is solitary confinement in Israel, and her life in Kuwaiti. She is in the Cube after being convicted as a political terrorist. The mystery of how she got this conviction is a slow reveal. In her afterward, author Susan Abulhawa stated that she wanted to focus on the emotional tole of solitary confinement. She sought information from previous political prisoners, adding authenticity. Narrator Nahr鈥檚 life in the Cube is stifling and Abulhawa does a fantastic job making the reader feel the loneliness and emotional void.
This is the first novel I have read that is pro-Palestine, and I enjoyed becoming acquainted with that perspective. I read to learn and gain understanding. This novel will stick with me.
Nahr鈥檚 narration is reflective and 鈥渜uiet鈥�. This is a powerful story of a family living through war and instability. The reader sees the perspective of the destruction caused by the United States involvement in the Gulf War. For Nahr, Saddam Hussein is her hero.
The story shifts from her current situation in 鈥渢he Cube鈥� which is solitary confinement in Israel, and her life in Kuwaiti. She is in the Cube after being convicted as a political terrorist. The mystery of how she got this conviction is a slow reveal. In her afterward, author Susan Abulhawa stated that she wanted to focus on the emotional tole of solitary confinement. She sought information from previous political prisoners, adding authenticity. Narrator Nahr鈥檚 life in the Cube is stifling and Abulhawa does a fantastic job making the reader feel the loneliness and emotional void.
This is the first novel I have read that is pro-Palestine, and I enjoyed becoming acquainted with that perspective. I read to learn and gain understanding. This novel will stick with me.
June 13, 2024
Powerful novel about a Palestinian woman searching for a better life for herself and navigating Israeli occupation. I appreciated Susan Abulhawa鈥檚 honest descriptions of our protagonist Nahr鈥檚 struggles, such as the sexism and poverty she faces as well as the uprooting of her life due to imperial violence (including that of the United States). At the same time, Abulhawa portrays her agency and her strong commitment both to herself and to her loved ones. A book that inspires reflection about individual choice and resistance amidst broader systems of oppression, as well as anger and motivation to fight injustices including colonialism and patriarchy.
August 16, 2020
One thing I love about reading is it gives you opportunity to hear different perspectives. While I have read both fiction and nonfiction books about the Middle East, I'm not going to pretend I fully comprehend the complexities of the conflicts. All I can do is read, listen, and hopefully learn and I feel like by reading this book featuring a Palestinian refugee character, I was able to accomplish my goal of getting a different perspective. It was certainly a thought provoking reading experience.
Nahr was born in the 1970s in Kuwait to Palestinian refugees. With money being tight and wanting to help finance her brother going to school, she becomes a prostitute. The US invasion of Iraq makes life even more difficult for Nahr and her family in Kuwait, so they are forced to flee and end up in Jordan. The book will go back and forth between the present time of Nahr being held in solitary confinement in an Israeli prison and the key events in her life that eventually led to her being locked up in what is known as The Cube.
There are some graphic sexual assault scenes in this book so fair warning this is a difficult read. Nahr and other characters also express their thoughts on Israel and Jewish people. In my opinion, it fit within the context of the story. I guess what I am trying to say is it felt authentic in terms of being in line with what those characters would think and feel. Now whether you agree or disagree with their opinions and actions, that would be a good topic for a book club discussion.
This book can be classified as historical fiction because it incorporates events from a war torn Middle East but Nahr is a fictional character. It's my interpretation of the Acknowledgment page, the author has interviewed Middle Eastern women, including prisoners, and was able to use that info to create and develop the character. Nahr was a strong female lead character and I felt invested in her story.
This might not be a book for everyone, but it was a worthwhile read for me. I am definitely interested in reading other books by this author.
I received an advance digital copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Nahr was born in the 1970s in Kuwait to Palestinian refugees. With money being tight and wanting to help finance her brother going to school, she becomes a prostitute. The US invasion of Iraq makes life even more difficult for Nahr and her family in Kuwait, so they are forced to flee and end up in Jordan. The book will go back and forth between the present time of Nahr being held in solitary confinement in an Israeli prison and the key events in her life that eventually led to her being locked up in what is known as The Cube.
There are some graphic sexual assault scenes in this book so fair warning this is a difficult read. Nahr and other characters also express their thoughts on Israel and Jewish people. In my opinion, it fit within the context of the story. I guess what I am trying to say is it felt authentic in terms of being in line with what those characters would think and feel. Now whether you agree or disagree with their opinions and actions, that would be a good topic for a book club discussion.
This book can be classified as historical fiction because it incorporates events from a war torn Middle East but Nahr is a fictional character. It's my interpretation of the Acknowledgment page, the author has interviewed Middle Eastern women, including prisoners, and was able to use that info to create and develop the character. Nahr was a strong female lead character and I felt invested in her story.
This might not be a book for everyone, but it was a worthwhile read for me. I am definitely interested in reading other books by this author.
I received an advance digital copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2021
I was first drawn to this book by the beautiful and eye-catching cover, but after reading the synopsis I immediately added it to my TBR. It could be due to American media and news coverage, but I haven鈥檛 been exposed to much of the experiences of the Palestinian people. Any Gaza & West Bank related news in the US has typically been filtered through a strong pro-Israeli lens, which paints an uneven picture of the ongoing conflict in the region.
Told as flashbacks between present day Nahr as she is imprisoned in The Cube, an in humane solitary cell in an Israeli prison, and Nahr as she comes of age and into adulthood, Susan Abulhawa gives readers a peek into the struggles refugees face when they are deprived of the safety of their community and home. Moving from Kuwait to Jordan to Palestine, Nahr is forced to grow up fast in order to provide for herself and her family amongst that instability. She goes through a lot, and it鈥檚 painful to read at times. There could be some trigger warnings on this book, , but these details are not added flippantly; they鈥檙e included in order to give a realistic depiction of what someone like Nahr could feasibly experience.
I think what struck me most while reading was how restrained Nahr鈥檚 actions were throughout the novel. I was expecting her to have a darker outlook, a more 鈥渞adicalized鈥� ideology based on the multitude of injustices and indignities that get thrust upon her again and again. But almost everything she does is for the sake of survival, and even when she occasionally lashes out beyond that, it鈥檚 with the expectation that she鈥檒l be hit back ten times as hard in retribution鈥攁nd she always is. 滨鈥檓 not sure if this is due to to Abulhawa鈥檚 ability to write an incredibly sympathetic character or because the treatment of Palestinians is so abhorrent that there鈥檚 no way to possibly root against the characters. Honestly, it鈥檚 probably a combination of the two; a triumph for an author in the midst of writing devastation.
滨鈥檓 really interested to read more of Abulhawa鈥檚 work, especially , which has received some glowing reviews. There鈥檚 something to be said about educating through empathy, and if reading fiction about a place and people which have been historically disregarded helps teach us about Palestine鈥檚 over fifty-year occupation by the Israeli military (since 1967), then 滨鈥檓 all for that. The description of the conditions political prisoners live in, the annexation tactics to drive Palestinians from their homes and the actual war crimes that individual soldiers as well as the military in its entirety engage in are breathtakingly despicable. And 滨鈥檓 glad authors like Abulhawa are here and writing about them.
The structure of the book worked for me on the whole, but I think the pacing could have been more consistent. I also tried to listen to the audiobook version, and it wasn鈥檛 as good as it could have been. Susan Abulhawa narrates her own book and while I appreciate when authors do this sometimes, I don鈥檛 think that was the best choice in this case. She spoke so quietly, I had to blast my phone鈥檚 speakers in order to make out the words. For works like memoirs and essay collections, it makes more sense for the author to double as a narrator, but for fiction....I don鈥檛 know. I think it鈥檚 generally better to leave it to the professionals. Maybe she couldn鈥檛 find an available narrator of Palestinian descent? Whatever the reason, I preferred reading the physical book to listening to it.
Thanks to Natalie for sending me a copy of this book! I told you I鈥檇 finally read it 馃槍
**For more book talk & reviews, !
Told as flashbacks between present day Nahr as she is imprisoned in The Cube, an in humane solitary cell in an Israeli prison, and Nahr as she comes of age and into adulthood, Susan Abulhawa gives readers a peek into the struggles refugees face when they are deprived of the safety of their community and home. Moving from Kuwait to Jordan to Palestine, Nahr is forced to grow up fast in order to provide for herself and her family amongst that instability. She goes through a lot, and it鈥檚 painful to read at times. There could be some trigger warnings on this book, , but these details are not added flippantly; they鈥檙e included in order to give a realistic depiction of what someone like Nahr could feasibly experience.
I think what struck me most while reading was how restrained Nahr鈥檚 actions were throughout the novel. I was expecting her to have a darker outlook, a more 鈥渞adicalized鈥� ideology based on the multitude of injustices and indignities that get thrust upon her again and again. But almost everything she does is for the sake of survival, and even when she occasionally lashes out beyond that, it鈥檚 with the expectation that she鈥檒l be hit back ten times as hard in retribution鈥攁nd she always is. 滨鈥檓 not sure if this is due to to Abulhawa鈥檚 ability to write an incredibly sympathetic character or because the treatment of Palestinians is so abhorrent that there鈥檚 no way to possibly root against the characters. Honestly, it鈥檚 probably a combination of the two; a triumph for an author in the midst of writing devastation.
滨鈥檓 really interested to read more of Abulhawa鈥檚 work, especially , which has received some glowing reviews. There鈥檚 something to be said about educating through empathy, and if reading fiction about a place and people which have been historically disregarded helps teach us about Palestine鈥檚 over fifty-year occupation by the Israeli military (since 1967), then 滨鈥檓 all for that. The description of the conditions political prisoners live in, the annexation tactics to drive Palestinians from their homes and the actual war crimes that individual soldiers as well as the military in its entirety engage in are breathtakingly despicable. And 滨鈥檓 glad authors like Abulhawa are here and writing about them.
The structure of the book worked for me on the whole, but I think the pacing could have been more consistent. I also tried to listen to the audiobook version, and it wasn鈥檛 as good as it could have been. Susan Abulhawa narrates her own book and while I appreciate when authors do this sometimes, I don鈥檛 think that was the best choice in this case. She spoke so quietly, I had to blast my phone鈥檚 speakers in order to make out the words. For works like memoirs and essay collections, it makes more sense for the author to double as a narrator, but for fiction....I don鈥檛 know. I think it鈥檚 generally better to leave it to the professionals. Maybe she couldn鈥檛 find an available narrator of Palestinian descent? Whatever the reason, I preferred reading the physical book to listening to it.
Thanks to Natalie for sending me a copy of this book! I told you I鈥檇 finally read it 馃槍
**For more book talk & reviews, !
January 14, 2022
What took me so long to read this book?
滨鈥檓 so grateful I finally read it, and with my BFF, Biblio Beth.
About the book: 鈥淎 sweeping and lyrical novel that follows a young Palestinian refugee as she slowly becomes radicalized while searching for a better life for her family throughout the Middle East, for readers of international literary bestsellers including Washington Black, My Sister, The Serial Killer, and Her Body and Other Parties.鈥�
Told in the present, with Nahr imprisoned in a state of the art jail cell, and in the past, following her early life in Kuwait, her time spent as a refugee in Jordan, and then when she visits Palestine, Against the Loveless World is a sweeping and powerful story. It goes to raw and dark places for Nahr, but the darkness isn鈥檛 what it鈥檚 about.
To me, it鈥檚 about the resilience of women, especially Muslim women. It鈥檚 about survival and family and love- all different types of love, and while it has a love story, my favorite focus was the one on self-love, as I observed Nahr develop love for herself and gradually open up and show more of her heart as that love deepened.
滨鈥檓 grateful for a different perspective on conflict in the Middle East and how the story, though gritty and heartrending in places, inspires empathy and perhaps even hope.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: and instagram:
滨鈥檓 so grateful I finally read it, and with my BFF, Biblio Beth.
About the book: 鈥淎 sweeping and lyrical novel that follows a young Palestinian refugee as she slowly becomes radicalized while searching for a better life for her family throughout the Middle East, for readers of international literary bestsellers including Washington Black, My Sister, The Serial Killer, and Her Body and Other Parties.鈥�
Told in the present, with Nahr imprisoned in a state of the art jail cell, and in the past, following her early life in Kuwait, her time spent as a refugee in Jordan, and then when she visits Palestine, Against the Loveless World is a sweeping and powerful story. It goes to raw and dark places for Nahr, but the darkness isn鈥檛 what it鈥檚 about.
To me, it鈥檚 about the resilience of women, especially Muslim women. It鈥檚 about survival and family and love- all different types of love, and while it has a love story, my favorite focus was the one on self-love, as I observed Nahr develop love for herself and gradually open up and show more of her heart as that love deepened.
滨鈥檓 grateful for a different perspective on conflict in the Middle East and how the story, though gritty and heartrending in places, inspires empathy and perhaps even hope.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: and instagram:
June 18, 2020
This is the story of a Palestinian woman Nahr (meaning River) who lives in Kuwait until shortly after the US forces enter the country following the Iraqi occupation. She then relocates to Amman in Jordan and Palestine. She tells her story from The Cube, an Israeli prison. This is a story of conflict and resistance, of dangerous love and survival by any means possible. This is not an easy read and right now in the midst Covid pandemic may not be the best timing for such a book.
There are parts of the novel that flow well and other sections that drag. You get a clear picture of the conflict in this area albeit from one perspective. There are a multitude of characters to get your head around, some are peripheral and some who are portrayed in greater depth. I find Nahr an enigmatic puzzle as she seems to be so many different things, almost like several people rolled into one. Some of the relationships are very complex which is partly intriguing but by the same token can add to the confusion. There are some fantastic descriptions of places which I really enjoy and Nahr鈥檚 love of Kuwait pre 1990 really shines through. I like the food references principally because I love Middle Eastern food but also because it demonstrates the importance of celebratory feasting in that part of the world where there is a strong sense of family, extended family and community.
Overall, it鈥檚 an interesting book but with some reservations.
3.5 rounded up
Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC.
There are parts of the novel that flow well and other sections that drag. You get a clear picture of the conflict in this area albeit from one perspective. There are a multitude of characters to get your head around, some are peripheral and some who are portrayed in greater depth. I find Nahr an enigmatic puzzle as she seems to be so many different things, almost like several people rolled into one. Some of the relationships are very complex which is partly intriguing but by the same token can add to the confusion. There are some fantastic descriptions of places which I really enjoy and Nahr鈥檚 love of Kuwait pre 1990 really shines through. I like the food references principally because I love Middle Eastern food but also because it demonstrates the importance of celebratory feasting in that part of the world where there is a strong sense of family, extended family and community.
Overall, it鈥檚 an interesting book but with some reservations.
3.5 rounded up
Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC.
November 12, 2021
Audiobook鈥�. read by Susan
Abulhawa
鈥�.13 hours and 10 minutes
One of the most harrowing, powerful, and imaginative books I鈥檝e read.
In what was often the bleakest of bleakest 鈥�.Susan Abulhawa鈥攁n evocative fierce storyteller that makes every sentence count with of some of the most brutal-devastating prose I鈥檝e ever read 鈥�.she also gave moments of hope -
With the horrifying topic of gang rape 鈥� and years of ugliness鈥擜bulhawa blended the power of family and even beauty into this very unsettling novel鈥�..
a close look at what happens in a world that fails us.
It must have taken sooo much courage (even the experience of agony)鈥� just to have written this book.
Hundreds of other reviewers have included the specific details - so no need to reinvent the wheel 鈥�
but 滨鈥檓 glad I took my turn reading/listening it.
Susan鈥檚 soft voice felt real and authentic to me -a young unapologetic voice 鈥攎atching nicely with the words she wrote.
But honestly, one of the most piercing-affecting books of all times.
I鈥檇 almost compare the painful experience I had - a similar reaction - to when I read 鈥楳ischling鈥� by Affinity Konar鈥�.
Unforgettable story 鈥�.
I will read Susan Abulhawa again.
Phenomenon writer!!
Sometimes more visual than I needed 鈥� but my god鈥�
bless her talent and contribution!
Abulhawa
鈥�.13 hours and 10 minutes
One of the most harrowing, powerful, and imaginative books I鈥檝e read.
In what was often the bleakest of bleakest 鈥�.Susan Abulhawa鈥攁n evocative fierce storyteller that makes every sentence count with of some of the most brutal-devastating prose I鈥檝e ever read 鈥�.she also gave moments of hope -
With the horrifying topic of gang rape 鈥� and years of ugliness鈥擜bulhawa blended the power of family and even beauty into this very unsettling novel鈥�..
a close look at what happens in a world that fails us.
It must have taken sooo much courage (even the experience of agony)鈥� just to have written this book.
Hundreds of other reviewers have included the specific details - so no need to reinvent the wheel 鈥�
but 滨鈥檓 glad I took my turn reading/listening it.
Susan鈥檚 soft voice felt real and authentic to me -a young unapologetic voice 鈥攎atching nicely with the words she wrote.
But honestly, one of the most piercing-affecting books of all times.
I鈥檇 almost compare the painful experience I had - a similar reaction - to when I read 鈥楳ischling鈥� by Affinity Konar鈥�.
Unforgettable story 鈥�.
I will read Susan Abulhawa again.
Phenomenon writer!!
Sometimes more visual than I needed 鈥� but my god鈥�
bless her talent and contribution!
April 11, 2024
What a powerful read...I'm speechless
I don't think i can endure another heartbreaking storytelling.
Against the Loveless World has tipped me over the edge.
RTC because I Just need to sit with my thoughts on this one for a while.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
鈰嗭健掳鉁㏄re Review鈰嗭健掳鉁�
So clearly I鈥檝e chosen April as the month for books to completely destroy my heart.
I feel like this will also be no exception!
滨鈥檓ready 馃ス馃ス馃挃
I don't think i can endure another heartbreaking storytelling.
Against the Loveless World has tipped me over the edge.
RTC because I Just need to sit with my thoughts on this one for a while.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
鈰嗭健掳鉁㏄re Review鈰嗭健掳鉁�
So clearly I鈥檝e chosen April as the month for books to completely destroy my heart.
I feel like this will also be no exception!
滨鈥檓
January 11, 2022
actual masterpiece, the last 20 pages had me holding my breath; the characters and their relationships with one another were so vivid and real and HUMAN
March 9, 2022
鈥淚 find that reporters and writers who come here don鈥檛 actually want to listen to me or hear my thoughts, except where I might validate what they already believe.鈥�
i forgot how to breathe while reading this book. stab after stab, straight to the heart.
i forgot how to breathe while reading this book. stab after stab, straight to the heart.
February 13, 2024
This is my third book by this author, and she's now an auto buy for me. Whatever she writes, I will read it.
Susan Abulhawa, like Khaled Hosseini, breaks my heart, but my goodness, the writing is beautiful. With the inclusion of Arabic phases, expressions, and traditions, I could smell the Middle Eastern air within these pages. My favourite kind of book.
From Kuwait, to Jordan, to Palestine, this is a story of displacement. Wrapped up in beautifully structured sentences, the smell of mint tea in the air, this book is harrowing.
I knew Iraq had invaded and occupied Kuwait for a time, but I didn't know an awful lot about it, and I didn't know the ramifications that's people faced after Kuwait was liberated. This book is a history lesson, wrapped up like a memoir, written in a narrative format.
There's a lot of triggers to be mindful of in this book. Women are especially vulnerable during times of war, and you will see that on page here. Check content warnings if required.
Unforgettable.
Five stars.
Susan Abulhawa, like Khaled Hosseini, breaks my heart, but my goodness, the writing is beautiful. With the inclusion of Arabic phases, expressions, and traditions, I could smell the Middle Eastern air within these pages. My favourite kind of book.
From Kuwait, to Jordan, to Palestine, this is a story of displacement. Wrapped up in beautifully structured sentences, the smell of mint tea in the air, this book is harrowing.
I knew Iraq had invaded and occupied Kuwait for a time, but I didn't know an awful lot about it, and I didn't know the ramifications that's people faced after Kuwait was liberated. This book is a history lesson, wrapped up like a memoir, written in a narrative format.
There's a lot of triggers to be mindful of in this book. Women are especially vulnerable during times of war, and you will see that on page here. Check content warnings if required.
Unforgettable.
Five stars.
April 20, 2023
Reread: Apr 19, 2023
I have a special place in my heart for this book and Nahr 馃挄
Oct 20, 2020
Book hangover ensues 馃槥
What a book!!!!
I have a special place in my heart for this book and Nahr 馃挄
Oct 20, 2020
Book hangover ensues 馃槥
What a book!!!!
November 23, 2020
I feel like I've been waiting my entire life to read this book.
I lived in the Gaza strip from 1994-2000 - my youngest memories are of living in Palestine. I've spent my entire adult life attempting to explain the suffering of Palestine people to people who had only been told or taught about the *sovereignty* of Israel and this book felt like being heard, seen, recognized for the first time.
To have this beautiful work in mainstream fiction detailing the crimes that have been committed (and are still being committed) against Palestinian bodies feels like validation. The Palestinian story has been silenced, hidden, made taboo in US media and FINALLY we have a work of fiction we can turn to and say, "Here. Read this." Something that is not dusty non-fiction but a work of painfully beautiful prose detailing the highs and lows of a woman, a Palestinian woman at that.
This is a book about life, pain, struggle, beauty, triumph, failure, humanity, and love - it's about people who the world would like to erase but their strength will not allow. Palestinians are humans and their lives and stories cannot and will not be censored.
CW: Rape, death, trauma, death of a parent, abuse, miscarriage, abortion, domestic violence, violence and torture, graphic violence, forced displacement and colonialism.
I lived in the Gaza strip from 1994-2000 - my youngest memories are of living in Palestine. I've spent my entire adult life attempting to explain the suffering of Palestine people to people who had only been told or taught about the *sovereignty* of Israel and this book felt like being heard, seen, recognized for the first time.
To have this beautiful work in mainstream fiction detailing the crimes that have been committed (and are still being committed) against Palestinian bodies feels like validation. The Palestinian story has been silenced, hidden, made taboo in US media and FINALLY we have a work of fiction we can turn to and say, "Here. Read this." Something that is not dusty non-fiction but a work of painfully beautiful prose detailing the highs and lows of a woman, a Palestinian woman at that.
This is a book about life, pain, struggle, beauty, triumph, failure, humanity, and love - it's about people who the world would like to erase but their strength will not allow. Palestinians are humans and their lives and stories cannot and will not be censored.
CW: Rape, death, trauma, death of a parent, abuse, miscarriage, abortion, domestic violence, violence and torture, graphic violence, forced displacement and colonialism.
December 14, 2023
If you read any novel regarding Palestine, let this be the one. An absolutely stunning work of resistance, identity, and love. Told in the most raw and honest of voices, Nahr is an instantly endearing character who so vividly accounts the struggles and triumphs of the Palestinian people. Intricate, moving, and intertwining humor with heart wrenching drama, this is a must read. One of the most valued stories of our time.
Also check out Susan Abdulhawa鈥檚 other works, I have absolutely loved every novel of hers that I have read.
Read
May 30, 2024dnf %33
i鈥檓 not emotionally capable of reading this book. i already cried so many times and i have stomachaches because some parts were so disturbing. so i鈥檓 gonna quit reading here
~~~~~
crying wasn鈥檛 on my list today but simra bullied me into reading this with her 馃様 so here we are
i鈥檓 not emotionally capable of reading this book. i already cried so many times and i have stomachaches because some parts were so disturbing. so i鈥檓 gonna quit reading here
~~~~~
crying wasn鈥檛 on my list today but simra bullied me into reading this with her 馃様 so here we are
March 23, 2020
There's lots of interesting material in this book which offers up a Palestinian view of Middle Eastern politics ('I thought Saddam was invincible. I believed he'd be the Arab leader who would finally defeat Western imperialists and Zionist colonizers') with particular attention to the lives of women, but I'm less convinced that it works as a coherent novel.
Abulhawa mentions her research at the end and it seems to me that taking the experiences of multiple women and allocating them all to a single person overloads the characterization, rendering Nahr's life unconvincingly melodramatic. Everything bad that can happen to her does from multiple rapes to a short-lived marriage , to becoming one of Israel's most famous prisoners.
The writing doesn't always flow and motivations aren't always clear: I was never sure why Nahr falls into prostitution, for example, when she has a good day job and offers beauty treatments on the side: it feels shoehorned in because Abulhawa doesn't want to waste the research material. I might have preferred it if this had been written as non-fiction documentary: an illuminating read, just not the most engaging or coherent as a piece of fiction.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley
Abulhawa mentions her research at the end and it seems to me that taking the experiences of multiple women and allocating them all to a single person overloads the characterization, rendering Nahr's life unconvincingly melodramatic. Everything bad that can happen to her does from multiple rapes to a short-lived marriage , to becoming one of Israel's most famous prisoners.
The writing doesn't always flow and motivations aren't always clear: I was never sure why Nahr falls into prostitution, for example, when she has a good day job and offers beauty treatments on the side: it feels shoehorned in because Abulhawa doesn't want to waste the research material. I might have preferred it if this had been written as non-fiction documentary: an illuminating read, just not the most engaging or coherent as a piece of fiction.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley
January 3, 2025
This novel was something else! It spans several decades and has at its centre Nahr, a Kuwait-born Palestinian woman. She's grown up hearing stories about the motherland, but she's quite fond of Kuwait. She's a bit of a rebel, determined and headstrong. Her mother is a widow who's also been caring for her mother-in-law. Nahr's younger brother is quite intelligent and does well in school.
Nahr's works a variety of jobs but it's hard to make a living and even harder to get enough money to send her younger brother to university. Decisions will be made by Nahr, others will be made for her.
While imperfect, I loved so many things about this novel. Through Nahr's everyday life and adventures, I got to hear about Kuwait's invasion, and the Palestinians' plight, who yet again get kicked out of a place and have to move to another country and start all over again. We also got to experience some of the horrible things the Jewish settlers were imposing on the people and their lands, houses, etc. There is so much sorrow and tragedy, that pretty much no family is spared - and that was before the atrocities currently occurring in Gaza.
This was a powerful, heartbreaking, and enlightening read. I'm keen to read more books by Abulhawa.
Nahr's works a variety of jobs but it's hard to make a living and even harder to get enough money to send her younger brother to university. Decisions will be made by Nahr, others will be made for her.
While imperfect, I loved so many things about this novel. Through Nahr's everyday life and adventures, I got to hear about Kuwait's invasion, and the Palestinians' plight, who yet again get kicked out of a place and have to move to another country and start all over again. We also got to experience some of the horrible things the Jewish settlers were imposing on the people and their lands, houses, etc. There is so much sorrow and tragedy, that pretty much no family is spared - and that was before the atrocities currently occurring in Gaza.
This was a powerful, heartbreaking, and enlightening read. I'm keen to read more books by Abulhawa.
September 20, 2020
Nahr is writing her story from The Cube, her prison cell in Israel. Her story begins with being born in Kuwait to a Palestinian refugee couple. She works hard all her life but finds the family always needs more money, and, in order to send her brother to university, she reluctantly turns to prostitution. The night that Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait she had found herself in a gang rape situation, and said that Saddam saved her life. She loved living under Sadam until he was ousted. Her husband had abandoned her, and to obtain a divorce, she decided to go to Palestine for the first time, where she meets and adores her husband's mother and brother, Bilal. This experience and these people would change her life. But the rebel in her would not die, only flourish in her new home.
It is one woman's story (derived actually from a conglomeration of three women's stories). It is not only about her struggles and disappointments, but also her joys, her beloved family connections, and hope against all odds.
My favorite part was the chapter that included some quotes from James Baldwin's writings.
"...if we had not loved each other none of us would have survived." and
"You can only be destroyed by believing that you really are what the white world calls a nigger." and finally
"Here you were: to be loved. To be loved, baby, hard, at once, and forever, to strengthen you against the loveless world."
Powerful stuff.
I loved this author's Mornings in Jenin and had all the same emotions here. I believe it is good to read about the Middle East conflict from different points of view because like most stories, there are good and bad people, good and bad actions, on both sides. Abdullah expresses her people's words with great beauty and eloquence. She is very convincing, but I don't doubt that her story is slanted. I will never understand everything about that conflict that never ends, so I try to keep an open mind.
The audiobook is narrated by the author, who has simply a very lovely voice. Told from the perspective of Nahr in a sad sort of way, Abulhawa's voice is perfect to depict Nahr's struggles and genuine sadness, as well as her f*ck it all attitude. But the narration for me was also full of problems.
The volume of Nahr's voice never changed. I needed to turn it up as high as it would go to hear her. But when reading any other voice, Abulhawa spoke much louder, which made audio listening quite difficult if not impossible at times. And some of the female voices were grating. I finally set it aside and read the ARC copy I had won from 欧宝娱乐.
It is one woman's story (derived actually from a conglomeration of three women's stories). It is not only about her struggles and disappointments, but also her joys, her beloved family connections, and hope against all odds.
My favorite part was the chapter that included some quotes from James Baldwin's writings.
"...if we had not loved each other none of us would have survived." and
"You can only be destroyed by believing that you really are what the white world calls a nigger." and finally
"Here you were: to be loved. To be loved, baby, hard, at once, and forever, to strengthen you against the loveless world."
Powerful stuff.
I loved this author's Mornings in Jenin and had all the same emotions here. I believe it is good to read about the Middle East conflict from different points of view because like most stories, there are good and bad people, good and bad actions, on both sides. Abdullah expresses her people's words with great beauty and eloquence. She is very convincing, but I don't doubt that her story is slanted. I will never understand everything about that conflict that never ends, so I try to keep an open mind.
The audiobook is narrated by the author, who has simply a very lovely voice. Told from the perspective of Nahr in a sad sort of way, Abulhawa's voice is perfect to depict Nahr's struggles and genuine sadness, as well as her f*ck it all attitude. But the narration for me was also full of problems.
The volume of Nahr's voice never changed. I needed to turn it up as high as it would go to hear her. But when reading any other voice, Abulhawa spoke much louder, which made audio listening quite difficult if not impossible at times. And some of the female voices were grating. I finally set it aside and read the ARC copy I had won from 欧宝娱乐.
May 27, 2024
鈥淪tories, human dramas鈥� from Palestine鈥�
--This novel was published 13 years after Abulhawa鈥檚 debut novel in 2006, Mornings in Jenin.
鈥 read these back-to-back; for the prior novel, I reviewed learning about the Palestine/Israel conflict through personal stories vs. big picture analysis. In the prior novel, the author actually made some references to structural analysis (literally referencing nonfiction books), but both novels live and breathe through their personal characters. Indeed, the latter novel鈥檚 protagonist acknowledges this:
i) the scientist's abstract microscopic/telescopic lenses, and
ii) the artists' brush/canvas. These are 鈥渟ensitive people鈥� who can get under the skin emotionally, to paraphrase Vijay Prashad.
...Prashad edited a volume featuring Abulhawa as well as Naomi Klein, Amitav Ghosh, etc., to allow writers (artists) to capture the human drama of what scientists observe/theorize regarding the climate crisis: Will the Flower Slip Through the Asphalt: Writers Respond to Capitalist Climate Change.
鈥egarding any gender bias between abstract political theories vs. human dramas, 滨鈥檓 reminded of the feminist critique of capitalism devaluing interpretive labour (referenced by David Graeber, which I quote in reviewing Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052鈥�2072).
鈥he passage on human dramas is followed by a reference of James Baldwin鈥檚 The Fire Next Time; I always delight in novelists sprinkling in their influences, and I need to catch up with Baldwin.
--The art of portraying human drama can also include multimedia (audio visuals), as hinted at by the book trailer video for this novel.
--This novel was published 13 years after Abulhawa鈥檚 debut novel in 2006, Mornings in Jenin.
鈥 read these back-to-back; for the prior novel, I reviewed learning about the Palestine/Israel conflict through personal stories vs. big picture analysis. In the prior novel, the author actually made some references to structural analysis (literally referencing nonfiction books), but both novels live and breathe through their personal characters. Indeed, the latter novel鈥檚 protagonist acknowledges this:
He read a lot too, and although I tried to read with him, abstract political theories didn鈥檛 hold my interest. I preferred stories, human dramas.鈥 happen to lean heavily towards the 鈥渁bstract political theories鈥� side. Now, I have little patience for textbooks deliberately devoid of human emotions/struggle. However, there are certain 鈥渁bstract鈥� tools worth learning for the sake of better analyzing human struggle, as they help counter individual biases; Goldacre's article 鈥淓mpathy鈥檚 Failures鈥� in I Think You'll Find It's a Bit More Complicated Than That provides a stark example:
This [personal] story always makes me cry a little bit. Two million people die of Aids every year. It never has the same effect....The synthesis here is to wield both and use them in collaboration:
i) the scientist's abstract microscopic/telescopic lenses, and
ii) the artists' brush/canvas. These are 鈥渟ensitive people鈥� who can get under the skin emotionally, to paraphrase Vijay Prashad.
...Prashad edited a volume featuring Abulhawa as well as Naomi Klein, Amitav Ghosh, etc., to allow writers (artists) to capture the human drama of what scientists observe/theorize regarding the climate crisis: Will the Flower Slip Through the Asphalt: Writers Respond to Capitalist Climate Change.
鈥egarding any gender bias between abstract political theories vs. human dramas, 滨鈥檓 reminded of the feminist critique of capitalism devaluing interpretive labour (referenced by David Graeber, which I quote in reviewing Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052鈥�2072).
鈥he passage on human dramas is followed by a reference of James Baldwin鈥檚 The Fire Next Time; I always delight in novelists sprinkling in their influences, and I need to catch up with Baldwin.
--The art of portraying human drama can also include multimedia (audio visuals), as hinted at by the book trailer video for this novel.
March 24, 2021
One of the objectives I set for myself for this year was to read a book outside my comfort zone. I want to continue to do that, but this book checked that item off the list.
As an American Jew, I grew up hearing a very one-sided view of the state of Israel and the Palestinians. In recent years, I've been more and more aware of this and have been wanting to expand my view. Thus a novel about a displaced Palestinian woman who eventually is labeled a terrorist by the Israeli government seemed like a good place to start. This book forced me to consider a perspective that was completely opposite the one I'd been fed for so many years. Palestinians are so often painted as villains and terrorists by Israel, but this novel does an excellent job of explaining the anger that so many feel about being expelled from their homeland and becoming forced refugees in other countries where they're not entirely welcome. Even those living legally in Palestine are often terrorized themselves by Israeli settlers infringing on their land. In this context, embracing acts of terrorism seems entirely unsurprising. If you are repeatedly dehumanized, it seems only natural to want to fight back to assert your humanity.
What this book made clear to me is that in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, there is no easy answer because both sides are at fault. Both sides have been told that they are not wanted in other places, and both have a legitimate claim to their homeland. If any sort of peace is to be achieved, there has to be a recognition of mutual humanity and a sense of mutual respect.
As an American Jew, I grew up hearing a very one-sided view of the state of Israel and the Palestinians. In recent years, I've been more and more aware of this and have been wanting to expand my view. Thus a novel about a displaced Palestinian woman who eventually is labeled a terrorist by the Israeli government seemed like a good place to start. This book forced me to consider a perspective that was completely opposite the one I'd been fed for so many years. Palestinians are so often painted as villains and terrorists by Israel, but this novel does an excellent job of explaining the anger that so many feel about being expelled from their homeland and becoming forced refugees in other countries where they're not entirely welcome. Even those living legally in Palestine are often terrorized themselves by Israeli settlers infringing on their land. In this context, embracing acts of terrorism seems entirely unsurprising. If you are repeatedly dehumanized, it seems only natural to want to fight back to assert your humanity.
What this book made clear to me is that in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, there is no easy answer because both sides are at fault. Both sides have been told that they are not wanted in other places, and both have a legitimate claim to their homeland. If any sort of peace is to be achieved, there has to be a recognition of mutual humanity and a sense of mutual respect.
July 14, 2021
4.5*
艩iuolaikin臈 Palestina - visuomet jautri tema.
艩is palestiniet臈s autor臈s, dabar gyvenan膷ios JAV, romanas - ne tiesiogiai apie 拧iandienin臋 Palestin膮, kiek - apie palestinie膷ius emigrantus Kuveite. Per 拧ios bendruomen臈s istorij膮, patirtis, valdant skirtingoms politin臈ms j臈gos, svajas, l奴kes膷ius, viltis ir neviltis autor臈 ir kalba apie Palestin膮.
Man patiko, kaip autor臈 subtiliai, be garsi懦 politini懦 拧奴ki懦 sugeb臈jo perteikti palestinie膷i懦 sud臈ting膮 (i拧)gyvenim膮,j懦 bandym膮 susitaikyti su tuo, kad jiems niekada neteks pa啪inti gyvenimo t臈vyn臈je.
Patiko autor臈s s膮啪iningumas, parodant toli gra啪u ne ideal懦 palestinie膷i懦 kovotoj懦 veid膮.漠domu buvo su啪inoti apie man visi拧kai ne啪inom膮 Kuveito vald啪ios veidmaini拧kum膮 palestinie膷i懦 at啪vilgiu.
Romano centre - jauna moteris Nahr. Savo istorij膮 ji pasakoja i拧 kal臈jimo Izraelyje vienutes. Kasdien, bendraudama su tardytoja, pri啪i奴r臈toja, vert臈ja ji keliauja per savo gyvenim膮. Nuo jaunos, ner奴pestingos merginos, m臈gstan膷ios 拧okti, 啪av臈ti, trok拧tan膷ios meil臈s...per nepavykusi膮 santuok膮, tragi拧kas pa啪intis, patirtis, dramas... iki brand啪ios moters, pagaliau sutikusios tikr膮 meil臋, u啪sigr奴dinusios, dr膮sios, i拧mintingos Nahr.
Romanas, beje, su autofikcijos elementais.
Gal vienintelis dalykas, kuris man kliuvo - tai vis delto ta meil臈s linija link pabaigos. Ji - gra啪i, viltinga, bet man kaip tai pasirod臈 silpniausia romano vieta. Ar jos gal buvo truput臈l寞 per daug. Bet gal ir nereikia kabin臈tis.
艩iuolaikin臈 Palestina - visuomet jautri tema.
艩is palestiniet臈s autor臈s, dabar gyvenan膷ios JAV, romanas - ne tiesiogiai apie 拧iandienin臋 Palestin膮, kiek - apie palestinie膷ius emigrantus Kuveite. Per 拧ios bendruomen臈s istorij膮, patirtis, valdant skirtingoms politin臈ms j臈gos, svajas, l奴kes膷ius, viltis ir neviltis autor臈 ir kalba apie Palestin膮.
Man patiko, kaip autor臈 subtiliai, be garsi懦 politini懦 拧奴ki懦 sugeb臈jo perteikti palestinie膷i懦 sud臈ting膮 (i拧)gyvenim膮,j懦 bandym膮 susitaikyti su tuo, kad jiems niekada neteks pa啪inti gyvenimo t臈vyn臈je.
Patiko autor臈s s膮啪iningumas, parodant toli gra啪u ne ideal懦 palestinie膷i懦 kovotoj懦 veid膮.漠domu buvo su啪inoti apie man visi拧kai ne啪inom膮 Kuveito vald啪ios veidmaini拧kum膮 palestinie膷i懦 at啪vilgiu.
Romano centre - jauna moteris Nahr. Savo istorij膮 ji pasakoja i拧 kal臈jimo Izraelyje vienutes. Kasdien, bendraudama su tardytoja, pri啪i奴r臈toja, vert臈ja ji keliauja per savo gyvenim膮. Nuo jaunos, ner奴pestingos merginos, m臈gstan膷ios 拧okti, 啪av臈ti, trok拧tan膷ios meil臈s...per nepavykusi膮 santuok膮, tragi拧kas pa啪intis, patirtis, dramas... iki brand啪ios moters, pagaliau sutikusios tikr膮 meil臋, u啪sigr奴dinusios, dr膮sios, i拧mintingos Nahr.
Romanas, beje, su autofikcijos elementais.
Gal vienintelis dalykas, kuris man kliuvo - tai vis delto ta meil臈s linija link pabaigos. Ji - gra啪i, viltinga, bet man kaip tai pasirod臈 silpniausia romano vieta. Ar jos gal buvo truput臈l寞 per daug. Bet gal ir nereikia kabin臈tis.
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