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Against the Loveless World

A Novel

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Against the Loveless World

Written by: Susan Abulhawa
Narrated by: Susan Abulhawa
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About this listen

2020 Palestine Book Awards Winner
2021 Aspen Words Literary Prize Finalist

“Susan Abulhawa possesses the heart of a warrior; she looks into the darkest crevices of lives, conflicts, horrendous injustices, and dares to shine light that can illuminate hidden worlds for us.” (Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize-winning author)

In this “beautiful...urgent” novel (The New York Times), Nahr, a young Palestinian woman, fights for a better life for her family as she travels as a refugee throughout the Middle East.

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’s 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. Nahr’s subversive humor and moral ambiguity will resonate with fans of My Sister, The Serial Killer, and her dark, contemporary struggle places her as the perfect sister to Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties.

Written with Susan Abulhawa’s distinctive “richly detailed, beautiful, and resonant” (Publishers Weekly) prose, this powerful novel presents a searing, darkly funny, and wholly unique portrait of a Palestinian woman who refuses to be a victim.

©2020 Susan Abulhawa All rights reserved. Quotes excerpted from The Fire Next Time ©1962, 1963 by James Baldwin. Copyright renewed. Used by arrangement with the James Baldwin Estate. (P)2020 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. All rights reserved.
Genre Fiction Historical Fiction World Literature Fiction Witty Funny Refugee Middle Eastern Fiction
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What listeners say about Against the Loveless World

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Master storyteller!

I was fully immersed in this story from begging to end. I felt like I was travelling into a perfectly woven plot.

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Powerful book

I loved the description in this book, the characters, and the truth in the story. Beautifully written and certainly one of my favourite books ever!

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Just absolutely amazing

It is a very moving novel and I would re-read it again. I will be passing it on to friends and will ask them to pass it on to others once they finish, in hopes of educating as many people about the "Israeli" occupation Palestinian land.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Heart pulling

This story is beautiful! Both heartbreaking with a side of hope and despair. I would recommend this story to anyone!

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Life robbed of predictability

A heart breaking journey which many readers can only imagine through the words written in this book. To some, this may be a work of fiction, yet millions are suffering similar fate without being heard. This book gives voice to those silent victims of society who are brutally labelled and forgotten. Only way to truly feel this book is by setting aside biases and fully become one with Nahr.

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Exceptional

This book was heartbreakingly beautiful. An eye opening story of the life and painful struggle of Palestinians under Israeli occupation. A must read.

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One of my favorite books this year

I loved loved loved this book! It is beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. The characters are beautifully written, especially the heroine. You learn about the reality of Palestinians in the West Bank and how their lives are threatened constantly by the Israeli settlers and army. It’s still hopeful though, which is why it touched me so much.

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Not for me

Palestinian narratives and voices are incredibly important. I was hoping for more of a political dialogue and interpretation from a Palestinian lived experience l. This felt more like a love story and a story about relationships. Not my style of storytelling but appreciate the importance of it.

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