Against the Loveless World
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- Create Date：2021-05-19 11:56:20
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Susan Abulhawa
- ISBN：152661880X
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Summary
From the internationally bestselling author of the “terrifically affecting” （The Philadelphia Inquirer） Mornings in Jenin， 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’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。
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。
Reviews
Anooshay Abbasi
，
I started reading this book last year but left it midway because it got too heavy for me。 I picked it up again amidst the Palestinian crisis and oh my God。 I wish I could go back in time and read it all over again。 What a BEAUTIFUL book。
Sarah
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A beautiful engaging story about love， resistance， disappointment， shame， secrecy， land and identity。。 and so much more。 Having Nahr tell her story from an Israeli prison， from her early childhood until her release。 Understanding her family's place as Palestinian refugees in Kuwait， during the Iraq invasion was unbelievable， I think they are truly the only people to view Saddam Hussein as a hero， and that certainly says alot about their displacement and hardship in the world as Palestinian refug A beautiful engaging story about love， resistance， disappointment， shame， secrecy， land and identity。。 and so much more。 Having Nahr tell her story from an Israeli prison， from her early childhood until her release。 Understanding her family's place as Palestinian refugees in Kuwait， during the Iraq invasion was unbelievable， I think they are truly the only people to view Saddam Hussein as a hero， and that certainly says alot about their displacement and hardship in the world as Palestinian refugees。 Reading this during the current terrorist attacks of Israel on Palestine has just deepened my understanding of what living under occupation and illegal settlements is like。 Though we think we understand this and myself having family in the West Bank， it was an added element of understand and depth because you understand Nahr's slowly growing love of Palestine， her community， and Bilal。 I wouldn't at all say she was radicalized， if anything， this was a woman who believed in justice and wanted to fight for her family's land against occupation。I related to many aspects of this story as a middle eastern women understanding secrecy， shame， sexuality， and that a woman's reputation will follow her everywhere。。 almost forever。 I admired Nahr's honesty and ability to live true to herself， regardless of what heavy and damaging reputational risks that carried。 You not only see a woman who can balance two different lives to only keep her family financially afloat， but how she carries that guilt and shame， while also accepting her secret life as a dancer and prostitute。 Bilal。 Oh Bilal。 My heart was crushed。 To be torn between the unbearable love of another human being and your own land。 To love so hard and almost lose。 To spend your entire life fighting。 and suffering。 and fighting。 Susan's writing is beautiful and these characters are incredibly meaningful。 。。。more
Laura Jacobson
，
Against the Loveless World is a fiction novel but it is SO packed with history of Palestine and its people。 Nahr’s story is a beautiful compilation of several real Palestinian women’s experiences and the pain， struggle and losses she endures throughout her life offer a glimpse into how these refugees have been and continue to be treated。 The author creates a spectacular setting throughout this book and although there are heartbreaking stories， there are also moments of immense love， connection a Against the Loveless World is a fiction novel but it is SO packed with history of Palestine and its people。 Nahr’s story is a beautiful compilation of several real Palestinian women’s experiences and the pain， struggle and losses she endures throughout her life offer a glimpse into how these refugees have been and continue to be treated。 The author creates a spectacular setting throughout this book and although there are heartbreaking stories， there are also moments of immense love， connection and joy。 It's impossible not to feel a strong admiration for these characters as they fight the colonization that has kept them apart from their homeland for decades。 This story is eye-opening and educational as well as a heart-wrenching and emotional work of fiction。 Even if you do not read this specific book， I urge you to educate yourself on Palestine’s history and to listen and amplify Palestinian stories。 。。。more
Kitula
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Letto in 2 giorni STUPENDO
Laurie
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After I came to be aware of the tragedy of Palestinian history in modern times， I thought that someone should write a Palestinian version of "Exodus" by Leon Uris， which along with the Paul Newman movie based on its story increased U。S。 affection for Israel and antipathy for Palestinian Arabs who dared to resist the historic right of return。 In many ways， "Against the Loveless World" is that book， a passionate account of a Palestinian woman's nomadic life in Kuwait， Jordan， and Palestine。 She te After I came to be aware of the tragedy of Palestinian history in modern times， I thought that someone should write a Palestinian version of "Exodus" by Leon Uris， which along with the Paul Newman movie based on its story increased U。S。 affection for Israel and antipathy for Palestinian Arabs who dared to resist the historic right of return。 In many ways， "Against the Loveless World" is that book， a passionate account of a Palestinian woman's nomadic life in Kuwait， Jordan， and Palestine。 She tells her story from an Israeli prison， where she has been condemned for participation in anti-Israeli resistance。 The story is as rich and detailed as an embroidered Thobe， a native kaftan like the one the heroine's mother sews for her wedding。I write this as violence is exploding in Gaza。 I was just eating some vegetables with olive tapenade hummus， which reminded me of the food described in the novel。 I felt guilty when I realized that the hummus was made by an Israeli company， "Sabra"。 。。。more
Tats
，
What a story！！！ I listened to the audio book which was narrated by the author herself and it was fantastic。 A story of strong women， the life of refugees， love and trust， and how it is difficult to have either in a world where you can never plan ahead as you may have to pick up your belongings tomorrow （once again） and move on。 I love how the book had some light moments among what feels a lot like resignation and despair。 I would have love to have just a little bit more in the end but you can't What a story！！！ I listened to the audio book which was narrated by the author herself and it was fantastic。 A story of strong women， the life of refugees， love and trust， and how it is difficult to have either in a world where you can never plan ahead as you may have to pick up your belongings tomorrow （once again） and move on。 I love how the book had some light moments among what feels a lot like resignation and despair。 I would have love to have just a little bit more in the end but you can't have everything。 100% recommended especially with the relationship between Israel and Palestine escalating again right now。 。。。more
Mohd Shawkat
，
I ordered the book blindly。 I googled the author and was surprised to learn about Abul Hawa’s Palestinian roots。 I thought why not give the book a try。 I did。 Finished it in three days。 A record for a slow reader。When I started reading， I thought it’d be another watered-down narrative about the suffering of Palestinians。 Boy， was I wrong？ Against the Loveless World presents one of the strongest female protagonists in literature。 Nahr is an unapologetic and passionate woman who doesn’t give a dam I ordered the book blindly。 I googled the author and was surprised to learn about Abul Hawa’s Palestinian roots。 I thought why not give the book a try。 I did。 Finished it in three days。 A record for a slow reader。When I started reading， I thought it’d be another watered-down narrative about the suffering of Palestinians。 Boy， was I wrong？ Against the Loveless World presents one of the strongest female protagonists in literature。 Nahr is an unapologetic and passionate woman who doesn’t give a damn about the whole world。 You can’t just but love and admire her courage and feel with her her pains and sorrows。 Never have I been touched so deeply by a book since I read Jabra Ibrahim Jabra’s World Without Maps。 I highly recommend this book for those who want to feel the essence of the Palestinian struggle without bothering about political correctness 。。。more
Molly Sullivan Donnelly
，
This book opens with Nahr， a young Palestinian refugee in solitary confinement。 The story then goes back in time and tells the story of Nahr （and her family） as she searches for a better life in the Middle East。 In the book， Nahr slowly becomes radicalized。 This work of historical fiction is truly eye opening。
Ameerah
，
Exhausted writers s/times try to simplify their trade by boiling all stories down to only two essential trajectories: Someone comes to town， or someone moves away。 But Abulhawa’s third novel， “Against the Loveless World，” disproves this reductive hyperbole， artfully looping together comings and goings， entrances and exoduses， burials and birthdays in a humming narrative of human movement。Nahr， the novel’s middle-aged narrator， is a daughter of migration。 A Palestinian who has never known Palesti Exhausted writers s/times try to simplify their trade by boiling all stories down to only two essential trajectories: Someone comes to town， or someone moves away。 But Abulhawa’s third novel， “Against the Loveless World，” disproves this reductive hyperbole， artfully looping together comings and goings， entrances and exoduses， burials and birthdays in a humming narrative of human movement。Nahr， the novel’s middle-aged narrator， is a daughter of migration。 A Palestinian who has never known Palestine， she recalls her coming-of-age in Kuwait with her exiled mother， brother， and snippy grandmother。 She has no interest in the traumas of her ancestry and is instead enamoured of all things Kuwaiti。 “It was my home，” she says of her adoptive country， “and I was a loyal subject of the royals。 I lined up every day of school with the other students to sing the national anthem。 I even taught myself to speak their dialect and could dance Khaleeji ‘better than their best。’ That’s what someone told me。” Snubbed in her youth by an Independence Day dance troupe because “such an honour should be reserved for Kuwaiti kids，” Nahr doesn’t flinch， or feel offended as her mother does — “for her， everything came down to being Palestinian， and the whole world was out to get us。”Instead， the young Nahr seeks belonging elsewhere， breaking rules and expectations as she goes。 She “back-talks” and steals， is promiscuous and unapologetically grounded in her body。 Her premature marriage to a Palestinian war hero， the result of her sexual curiosity， is believable in both its hope and desperation。 Abandoned and confused， Nahr cedes control of her sexuality to Um Buraq， a worldly Kuwaiti woman who sends her to work as a high-end prostitute。Initially appalled by the job requirements， Nahr is intrigued by the power of her earnings， and soon it is she who pays her family’s bills， and her brother’s school fees。 When she is gang-raped on the eve of Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait， she leaves sex work and becomes involved with an Iraqi soldier。 “I wasn’t yet ready to give up on men，” she thinks。 “Part of me wanted to know if men could be good。”A rebellious spirit propels this story of statelessness， but the unburdened tone can also come off as unrealistic。 Soon after the Kuwaiti police torture her brother （they consider Palestinians Hussein’s collaborators）， the family flees to Jordan， where Nahr runs a successful beauty business out of their living room。 From there， though， it’s back to Palestine to finalize her divorce and fall in love again， this time with her handsome former brother-in-law， Bilal， a resistance fighter。 Following a period of action- and romance-laced sequences of arrests and homecomings， weapons smuggling and lockdowns， Nahr is caught and sentenced to solitary confinement in an Israeli prison she calls “the Cube。” There she reserves her spirit for reliving the past， for dancing and taking showers under a showerhead she names Attar。Known for her beautiful and urgent chronicling of the Palestinian struggle in fiction and poetry， Abulhawa skillfully situates Nahr in a life of friendship and family that is consistently upset by geopolitical changes and a volatile police state。 In this sense， Nahr is a 21c everywoman， strong in her own mind， but angry about how little control she has over her own life。 Given the persistent attacks on her self-determination， it is easy to understand Nahr’s commitment to justice at any cost。 But it’s less easy to feel it。 Her toughness and sass are rarely counterbalanced with moments of vulnerability， or grief。 The self-reflection in the novel often comes from the head rather than the heart， unidimensional interior monologues flecked with facts that serve more as platforms to explain the plight of Palestinian refugees， sex workers， liberation fighters。 Nahr encounters so many tragedies that she can at times come off as a composite of women and the issues that plague them in this region， the book too rarely pausing in her moments of weakness and exhaustion that might have distinguished her， illuminated the cost of passion for the powerless。Those forced to leave the places of their birth to live elsewhere then have to tell stories to the people they encounter there。 Not all communities are willing to listen to these messy narratives of displacement。 In our current climate of isolationism， the transnational storyteller must do more than entertain — she must educate。 In response to this demand， Abulhawa has created a spirited protagonist who lives invisibly and in opposition to her “loveless world，” telling her own story on her own terms lest either her comings or goings be forgotten。 。。。more
Lotta
，
En berättarteknik som fastnar i detaljer， till synes meningslösa vardagsdetaljer。 Jag somnade fler gånger än jag kan räkna till när jag läste denna bok。
Krutika Puranik
，
• r e v i e w •I sometimes feel that certain books reach us at the right time。 I started reading Against the Loveless World around the same time that the Israel-Palestine conflict escalated to the height of new horrors。 Throughout the book， I could actually visualise things happening the way they are right now。 Although this novel is set during the '70s， the Israel settlers treatment towards Palestinians are still very much the same。 So in many ways， this story was gripping， painful and utterly • r e v i e w •I sometimes feel that certain books reach us at the right time。 I started reading Against the Loveless World around the same time that the Israel-Palestine conflict escalated to the height of new horrors。 Throughout the book， I could actually visualise things happening the way they are right now。 Although this novel is set during the '70s， the Israel settlers treatment towards Palestinians are still very much the same。 So in many ways， this story was gripping， painful and utterly heartbreaking。 Amidst all the rubble stands our protagonist， Nahr。Much of the story happens in Nahr's mind as she is confined to a Cube。 She barely has visitors and has to read the same three books over and over again， living at the mercy of the Israelis。 But she shows resistance in the smallest of ways even while being imprisoned。 Her resistance against Israel lands her in the Cube but her spirit is with her family and her beloved Bilal。 Bilal， who taught her to trust her heart and to accept the love that she always deserved。 Nahr is born and brought up in Kuwait until Saddam's invasion， forcing her to flee to Jordan before finding her way to Palestine。 Although she finds a purpose in Palestine， she has to first sell her body in Kuwait to support her brother's education after being abandoned by her husband。 But never once did she succumb to self-pity。And on the Palestinian land， she finds freedom for the first time。 Surrounded by people who are part of the resistance， she rattles Israelis one step at a time。 But Nahr eventually has to pay for her freedom and the Cube becomes her home。 Against The Loveless World is a riveting novel， one that held my attention for the first half of the book but later became too rushed。 It is a shame because there were multiple characters thrown haphazardly。 The second-half of the book didn't quite live up to my expectations but it still makes for a very engrossing book。 She describes bits of history of Kuwait and Palestine very efficiently and I was loved learning about it。This is an important novel， now more than ever。 。。。more
Becca
，
“I find that reporters and writers who come here don’t actually want to listen to me or hear my thoughts， except when I might validate what they already believe。”With AtLW， Abulhawa gives an unapologetic and unflinching voice to the Palestinian diaspora。 As a result， this story is extremely impactful—both educating me and challenging me to expand my understanding about a complex international conflict。 This novel tackles a few very uncomfortable topics， from the POV of a Palestinian women held i “I find that reporters and writers who come here don’t actually want to listen to me or hear my thoughts， except when I might validate what they already believe。”With AtLW， Abulhawa gives an unapologetic and unflinching voice to the Palestinian diaspora。 As a result， this story is extremely impactful—both educating me and challenging me to expand my understanding about a complex international conflict。 This novel tackles a few very uncomfortable topics， from the POV of a Palestinian women held in solitary confinement in an Israeli jail。 AtLW is not afraid to ask American readers to reconsider our biases， but it’s does this book a severe injustice to pigeonhole this novel as a political commentary。 This is story of resilience， belonging， and of love。 Nahr is an incredible character， written with so much nuance and respect。 Although she is not beyond her own biases， it is easy to understand her anger。 AtLW brings you along as she navigates misogyny， shame， and forgiveness。 She’s a revolutionary from the very start as she defies cultural and colonialist expectations throughout her life even before ending up as part of the Palestinian resistance。 This is a love story， about Nahr falling in love with her homeland， herself， and her people。 I cannot end this review without a quick note about how much I adored the colorful descriptions of the land， food， and people of Kuwait， Jordan， and Palestine。 。。。more
Jill Thompson
，
3。5。
Sally
，
A look at the world of refuges in the Arab world。 A young girlliving in Kuwait where her grandmother and mother had torelocate after the 1967 war in Palestine。 She thinks she isin love and marries too young。 After her husband leaves she becomes involved in the world of prostitution。 Earning morningso her younger brother can go to college。 The story is told from her prison cell in Israel and will take many chapters to unveilthe rest of her story。
Katherine
，
3 1/2 stars， rounded upThis book had so many elements that began to draw me in。。 and I guess， in the end， the development didn't meet the very real demands of this important， powerful story。 I think I wanted to love this book more than I truthfully did， which just ended up being more about pace and style than the content itself。 I bump it up in my "rating" a bit because I think the book ended quite strongly， and there were intances of impactful storytelling within the book。 I think the flow was 3 1/2 stars， rounded upThis book had so many elements that began to draw me in。。 and I guess， in the end， the development didn't meet the very real demands of this important， powerful story。 I think I wanted to love this book more than I truthfully did， which just ended up being more about pace and style than the content itself。 I bump it up in my "rating" a bit because I think the book ended quite strongly， and there were intances of impactful storytelling within the book。 I think the flow was just a bit off for me。 。。。more
Zubs Malik
，
I almost decided not to review this book。 How could I review a fictional narrative that gave a voice and face to thousands of Palestinians， who like our protagonist lived this harsh reality。 Nahr， like a river recounts her life from her birth in Kuwait as a refugee to her forced relocation to Jordan after the Gulf War， to her return to Palestine where she becomes part of the resistance。 There is so much sadness in her narrative because at the heart of this fictional characters there is a sad a t I almost decided not to review this book。 How could I review a fictional narrative that gave a voice and face to thousands of Palestinians， who like our protagonist lived this harsh reality。 Nahr， like a river recounts her life from her birth in Kuwait as a refugee to her forced relocation to Jordan after the Gulf War， to her return to Palestine where she becomes part of the resistance。 There is so much sadness in her narrative because at the heart of this fictional characters there is a sad a truth。 A truth that belongs to a living， breathing women as I type this。 She， to me and maybe to you when you read her story will give you a glimpse of the realities and injustices of the Palestinian occupation from the perspective of a woman。This book explores the many complexities and nuances of Palestinian identity and migration。 There is a lot of Middle Eastern history， politics and culture explored but in order to understand the full picture， you first need to familiarise yourself with the history behind it。 To hear the account of an Israeli political prisoner in solitary confinement， was for me quite a moving experience。 You see Nahr is sharp and honest and when she recounts her story for you， she does so with zero constraints。 She causes you to think about a journey that was forced upon you， to leave all that you knew behind and to confront your demons of a world once was。 You see， I am no stranger to the news; I like the rest of the world see but there was such depth， such nuance in her portrayal， a soul baring honesty that it hurt my heart。 That I thought of those children that were used as target practice in front of their mothers。 Or a brave young boy standing in front of a military tank。 My brother once said to me that Palestinian women give birth to strong boys and girls not babies and I cried。 Because it is not out of choice but out of necessity。I thought of those forced into occupation and relocation who were then faced with fear of rape， theft， physically attacked。 Babies snatched from mothers’ arms， their breast yet not dried of the milk， a harsh symbol left behind of the magnitude of their loss。 Women forced in prostitutions just to survive。 This stunning portrayal， profoundly emotional and thought-provoking book has completely shattered my heart。 I loved the structure of writing， the bridging of the past to the present through flashbacks in four parts， through dreams and nightmares and by connecting one chapter to another by a word or a thought。 Yes， a fiction。 A beautiful country torn to shreds and its people forced into occupation。 May the heart and world weep for the betterment of Palestine and its people。 。。。more
Maddie
，
4。5 stars but rounded up because this book really surprised me at how accessible and riveting this book was。 Only on my radar because of the Aspen Words prize， I know that I would never have picked up this sweeping and beautiful novel about family， loyalty， love， friendship and how far you would go to protect the people and the history you love。。。all set against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict。 This isn’t a perfect book and is solely from the Palestinian perspective， but it make 4。5 stars but rounded up because this book really surprised me at how accessible and riveting this book was。 Only on my radar because of the Aspen Words prize， I know that I would never have picked up this sweeping and beautiful novel about family， loyalty， love， friendship and how far you would go to protect the people and the history you love。。。all set against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict。 This isn’t a perfect book and is solely from the Palestinian perspective， but it makes me want to read more fiction （and maybe non-fiction） about this ongoing and complicated history。 。。。more
Becca Whiting
，
Must read。
Saadia
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 TW: rape， imprisonment， solitary confinement， abortion， police brutality， torture， death。 "The continuity of these traditions helped bridge the spaces between dislocation and the home I had forged in my birthright homeland， but I knew I could never again be complete in one place。 This was what it meant to be exiled and disinherited - to straddle closed borders， never whole anymore。。。。。This was where I belonged， but so much of me was still scattered elsewhere。"Against the Loveless World is the st TW: rape， imprisonment， solitary confinement， abortion， police brutality， torture， death。 "The continuity of these traditions helped bridge the spaces between dislocation and the home I had forged in my birthright homeland， but I knew I could never again be complete in one place。 This was what it meant to be exiled and disinherited - to straddle closed borders， never whole anymore。。。。。This was where I belonged， but so much of me was still scattered elsewhere。"Against the Loveless World is the story of Nahr， a Palestinian refugee in solitary confinement in Israel， as she reflects back on her life journey during which she was displaced from Palestine to Kuwait to Jordan and back to Palestine。 She had a rough life - in order to support her family as the main breadwinner， she had to resort to prostitution after her husband left her。 She was also raped and degraded by men， which distorted her views on sex。 After Israel occupied Palestine， she joined a group of Palestinian revolutionaries。 What led her to imprisonment？ Will she be able to gain freedom and be united with her family？Nahr is an admirable female protagonist as she is strong， resilient and unapologetic。 It was really hard to read about what she and her family and friends had to endure including being tortured in prison。 I empathized with them because the feeling of displacement from being forced out of the place you call home must be so jarring。 I appreciated the loving relationship between her and her brother， Jehad。 Her life was filled with colorful characters such as Sitti Wasfiyeh， her blunt but well-intentioned grandmother， and Um Buraq - though their relationship started when she helped Nahr earn money via prostitution， she became an important part of Nahr's life as a reliable friend who she could always turn to for help。 I was also happy that she met Bilal， who didn't judge her for her past but instead loved her and treated her with the respect she deserved。 This was a tough and heavy read and the chapters were quite long but I kept reading because I wanted to find out what led Nahr to imprisonment。 The book does end on a hopeful note， which gave me a sense of relief。 "Bilal changed everything， rearranged my world。 I think it was the first time I desired a man truly。 My body desired him emotionally， psychologically， intellectually， and， at last， physically。" 。。。more
Jaimee Lee Mayberry
，
I fell in love with this authors writing。 I loved how the author took the interviews she did with Middle Easterns and told their story so beautifully。 This historical fiction tells the story of resistance and the dangerous of trying to love and survive at the same time。 This novel follows a middle age Palestinian women， Nahr who reflects on her life while she’s kept in a cube as a policial prisoner after the US invasion in Iraq。
Shaimaa
，
"We are not all blessed to receive a good education and inherit what it takes to live with some dignity。 To exist on your own land， in the bosom of your family and your history。 To know where you belong in the world and what you're fighting for。 To have some goddamn value。"This is my first read by Susan Abulhawa。 It is the story of Nahr who was confined in the Cube， in an Israeli prison。 The story begins from there where Nahr narrates her story in flashbacks as she writes it down to remember and "We are not all blessed to receive a good education and inherit what it takes to live with some dignity。 To exist on your own land， in the bosom of your family and your history。 To know where you belong in the world and what you're fighting for。 To have some goddamn value。"This is my first read by Susan Abulhawa。 It is the story of Nahr who was confined in the Cube， in an Israeli prison。 The story begins from there where Nahr narrates her story in flashbacks as she writes it down to remember and to reflect on her choices。 We follow her story from her high school until she became a woman with mostly-gray hair as she tried to understand， in the Cube， her identity。 Was she Nahr or Yaqoot or Almas？ Was she a revolutionary？ Or all of them？ Nahr is a Kuwait-born Palestinian， who had to leave Kuwait after the Iraqi invasion。 With her family， she managed to find a place in Jordan before going to Palestine where she tries to connect with her homeland and fight for it。 This is a story about displacement。 About the search for belonging。 About the loss of identity。 About the homeland。 About living despite everything。 The title is from James Baldwin's 'The Fire Next Time' which Bilal reads to Nahr and she ponders over it for a while。 It's a thought-provoking book about the shocking， painful reality of Palestinians everywhere。 。。。more
Chantelle
，
This was one of the most eye-opening， humbling books I think I have ever read。 I know very little about the Middle East， or refugees， or revolution。 I am your average white westerner & my country has not seen the things contained within this novel。 This was both poignant & fearless in a way I have never experienced。 I felt that I was educated by reading this。 Nahr’s story is one that will stay with me。
marsela
，
This was a truly phenomenal book。 Such an important， intense， emotional read。 This book chronicles our narrator Nahr’s exploration for a home， for love， and for the meaning of life as a displaced， oppressed Palestinian woman living under Israeli settler occupation， all while she tells her story from a solitary confinement cell。 I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about Palestine and about what colonialism looks like， because even though this is a work of fiction it This was a truly phenomenal book。 Such an important， intense， emotional read。 This book chronicles our narrator Nahr’s exploration for a home， for love， and for the meaning of life as a displaced， oppressed Palestinian woman living under Israeli settler occupation， all while she tells her story from a solitary confinement cell。 I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about Palestine and about what colonialism looks like， because even though this is a work of fiction it is so rooted in very real facts and experiences。 I will hold Nahr and her story in my heart for a very long time。 。。。more
Matias Uusisilta
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Abulhawa's latest book is as cruel and beautiful as her other books。 All Abulhawa's books tell a different but also the same story。 It's the story of the Palestinian struggle for freedom。 But this struggle is not just one story， it's millions of people's story and deserves to be told over and over again。 And Abulhawa's does this in a magnificent way in all her books。 Against the loveless world is a beautiful story about a woman who is used and abused but who takes charge of her own life。 It's an Abulhawa's latest book is as cruel and beautiful as her other books。 All Abulhawa's books tell a different but also the same story。 It's the story of the Palestinian struggle for freedom。 But this struggle is not just one story， it's millions of people's story and deserves to be told over and over again。 And Abulhawa's does this in a magnificent way in all her books。 Against the loveless world is a beautiful story about a woman who is used and abused but who takes charge of her own life。 It's an empowering and a feminist story。 。。。more
Tracy
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Absolutely stunning and devastating。
Meredith
，
This deserves less than one star。 What a hateful bigot this author is。 Barely two pages in and she is already spouting antisemitic garbage。 No thanks to hate！
Roopal Saran
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Learned about Palestine history and exile of Palestines - what a hard life。 The story of the heroine is beautifully told alternating between her being in jail and her past。 Sad and eye opening book about the plight of women to take care of their families。
Tamara
，
this book made me question what i didn’t know （which was a lot）， do research to find answers， and want to learn more。。。 exactly what reading is all about。
Nora
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A tour de force。 Nahr's story will stay with you。 A tour de force。 Nahr's story will stay with you。 。。。more
Sue
，