Book: Against the Loveless World, by Susan Abulhawa
Available for purchase at: www.susanabulhawa.com
Discussion: Sunday, April 18, 2021, 3:00 p.m. EDT with the author, Susan Abulhawa
In Susan Abulhawa’s new work of historical fiction, Against the Loveless World, the protagonist, Nahr, is a young woman whose changing circumstances require a series of difficult choices. These choices are unlike any that most readers will ever have to make, yet her motivation and values ring true and universal. Fatima Bhutto describes the book as “a thrilling, defiant novel [that] reads as a riot act against oppression, misogyny, and shame.” Though strong-willed and openly rebellious, Nahr’s search for love in a loveless world is resolved in a satisfying, but realistic, way. She has much to teach the reader about what it means to be human, regardless of differences in culture, gender, or political perspective.
During this program, Susan Abulhawa mentioned books by Palestinian authors and available in English. Here’s the list, to which we added a link to a review or summary; the links are ours, not Susan’s.
- The Book of Disappearance: A Novel by Ibtisam Azem
- In Search of Fatima, by Ghada Karm
- Salt Houses by Hala Alyan
- Sharon and My Mother-in-Law: Ramallah Dairies, by Suad Amiry
- Time of the White Horses, by Ibrahim Nasrallah
- Velvet, by Huzama Habayeb
Of course Susan Abulhawa’s books are:
- Against the Loveless World
- The Blue Between Sky and Water
- Mornings in Jenin
- My Voice Sought The Wind, a poetry collection
About the Author
Susan Abulhawa is a Palestinian-American writer and political activist. She is the author of Mornings in Jenin–translated into thirty languages–and The Blue Between Sky and Water. Born to refugees of the Six Day War of 1967, she moved to the United States as a teenager, graduated in biomedical science, and established a career in medical science. In July 2001, Abulhawa founded Playgrounds for Palestine, a non-governmental children’s organization dedicated to upholding the Right to Play for Palestinian children. She lives in Pennsylvania.