Against the Loveless World

A thrilling, defiant novel … Reads as a riot act against oppression, misogyny, and shame – FATIMA BHUTTOAbulhawa’s novel is a love story … She elegantly crafts a world where the tension between desire and survival is laid bare * New Yorker *A powerful and subversive story of trauma and survival for fans of My Sister, The Serial Killer and Her Body and Other Parties * The Millions *

Susan Abulhawa has reached greater heights with her new and courageous novel. Wide in its scope and breadth it is a lively, exciting book that is difficult to put down. The work of a seasoned, accomplished writer, this is a bold and dazzling work which is sure to arouse controversy

– RAJA SHEHADAHNahr is a wonderful creation, strong-willed, passionate, unapologetic and adventurous. Her refusal to accept the subordination expected of her propels the story at a thrilling pace. Her determination to find love in a loveless world and her unquenchable spirit in adversity shines a ray of hope into some very dark places – MICHAEL PALINA fearless work of imagination and documentary gathering power and depth as it sweeps along – AHDAF SOUEIFA masterpiece … Forces us to wrestle with the complexities of love, freedom, struggle, and shame in ways that both inspire and challenge our very conceptions of what it means to be human. A major literary contribution that further cements Abulhawa’s status as one of the most important writers of our generation – MARC LAMONT HILLThe writer’s pain - and the beauty of her prose – are very real * Daily Telegraph *One of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read … written with passion and honesty, and poetry * Daily Mail *Abulhawa’s writing shines … Friendship, adolescence, love: ordinary events, offset against extraordinary circumstances, make the story live * Independent *Hard to bear but impossible to ignore … Shows how history’s assault on each person is public, and how it nevertheless cannot extinguish the private experience of grief or the secret sense of eros. Abulhawa’s vision is precise, courageous, and dazzling – Teju ColeIn true Thousand and One Nights style, Abulhawa surprises us by continually unfolding new stories … Characters struggle to keep their secrets, but Abulhawa releases them. These are secrets we need to know, secrets that will educate us about ourselves * Guardian *A transformative literary grace. Abulhawa’s prose is luminous * Independent on Sunday *A fine observer of female kinship … A powerful read * Financial Times *A family saga with global reach, these stories jump off the page and into the soul and reach far beyond any headline or statistic, past the head, to the heart – Laleh KhadiviA giant step in the development of Palestinian fiction. The book is a great feat of imagination and storytelling * Raja Shehadeh *Readers … are sure to be charmed by Abulhawa’s glittering language and to remember (and love) the characters long after the book has ended * Washington Independent Review of Books *Powerful and moving * Stylist *