It Won't Always Be Like This

“A delightful account capturing the highs and lows of shifting family dynamics … Malaka’s tenderness for her family and Egypt are heartwarming and genuine.”—Diana Abouali, Director, Arab American National Museum “This is the book that’s been missing from my bookshelf. Gharib’s writing and illustrations made me laugh and cry and transported me back to some of the best days of my life in Egypt. This unforgettable graphic memoir is written from the heart.”—Aya Khalil, author of The Arabic Quilt“Intimate and wide-open, It Won’t Always Be Like This is a coming-of-age comic imbued with the wisdom of a mature and powerful mind. Gharib is the real deal.”—Kristen Radtke, author of Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness“Malaka Gharib recounts her teenage memories with an open heart and an eye for detail. It Won’t Always Be Like This is her best work yet. I wish everyone could write (and draw) about their lives with this much honesty, specificity, and warmth.”—Adrian Tomine, author of The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist“Gharib’s drawings are freehanded and energetic, with brightly detailed marketplaces, beach scenes, and cityscapes, peppered with excerpts from Gharib’s actual adolescent diaries. This work will resonate with any graphic novel memoir fan who felt like a fish out of water growing up, and promises teen crossover appeal.”—Publishers Weekly

Malaka Gharib is a writer, journalist, and cartoonist. She is the author of I Was Their American Dream- A Graphic Memoir, winner of an Arab American Book Award and named one of the best books of the year by NPR, The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, and the New York Public Library. By day, she works on NPR’s science desk, covering the topic of global health and development. Her comics, zines, and writing have been published in NPR, Catapult, The Seventh Wave Magazine, The Nib, The Believer, and The New Yorker. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Darren, and her dog, Sheeboo.

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