When All Else Fails - by Rayyan Al-Shawaf (Paperback)
Similar Products
Products of same category from the store
All
Product info
<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br><p>A DARKLY HUMOROUS SAGA SET IN POST-9/11 AMERICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST </p><p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p>When All Else Fails, which begins on September 12, 2001, is the darkly humorous saga of Hunayn, a luckless and lovelorn Iraqi Christian who's in Orlando, Florida for college after having graduated from high school in Beirut, Lebanon. Hunayn's life is upended by 9/11--but not immediately, and not in the way that he, fearful in the aftermath of the attacks, initially expects. As America settles into its post-9/11, open-ended "Septemberland" phase (vigilant but also overly suspicious and even paranoid), many Arab and Muslim Americans are made to feel that it's no longer their home. With Hunayn, who muddles through a series of surreal episodes in Orlando and nearby Indiantown, including a terrifying encounter at a bar in the middle of nowhere, the situation proves almost the opposite; Septemberland--so many of whose citizens figure they have the guy pegged just because of his name or origins--comes to remind him of his most recent unhappy home, Lebanon, which he assumed he'd left behind. So, having had his fill of disconcerting experiences, Hunayn returns to Beirut. At least he knows how to navigate life back there--or so he thinks. It turns out that Lebanon is about to undergo political upheaval of its own: a former prime minister opposed to neighboring Syria's control of the country is assassinated; subsequent popular protests compel the Syrian regime to withdraw its army; a spate of mysterious bombings terrorizes everyone; and Israel, another neighbor, launches a war on Lebanon in retaliation for an attack by a Lebanese militant group. Hunayn finds himself a swirl in the maelstrom. And all the while, he watches from afar as Iraq, his fabled homeland and the owner of his heart, unravels in the wake of the US-led invasion...</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>A debut novel from an author to watch, this finely crafted story would provide any book group with hours of satisfying discussion.-- "Booklist"<br><br>Darkly comic, subtle, and thoughtful ' Al-Shawaf's first novel, set in the tumultuous aftermath of 9/11, is an often fascinating, sometimes funny picaresque about ethnic, religious, and national identities and the ways we wear them, shed them, embrace them, redefine them '-- "Kirkus Reviews"<br><br>When All Else Fails tells the story of an Iraqi college student who's living in Orlando when his whole life changes on 9/11. Readers will feel loss, hope, love and courage in Al-Shawaf's novel.-- "Orlando Weekly"<br><br>In When All Else Fails, Rayyan Al-Shawaf deftly melds on-the-ground experience with an extremely engaging and vivid fictional narrative. When All Else Fails is required reading for all who desire an entertaining and illuminating perspective on individuals who find themselves caught in the cultural and religious cross-currents of life in both America and the Middle East.--R. P. Finch, author of Skin in the Game<br><br>When All Else Fails is a dark comedy centered around Hunayn, a Rome and Beirut-educated Iraqi Christian who is living in Florida when 9/11 suddenly upends his life. Set in the tumultuous aftermath of the attack on the Twin Towers, al-Shawaf's debut novel unpacks themes around religious, cultural, and national identities, and tackles the stereotypes that comes with them. The best books by Arab authors in 2019<br><br>When All Else Fails is a wonderful debut novel: profound, funny and a joy to read from start to finish. ... Rayyan's words are magical.--Jim Powell, author of Things We Nearly Knew, Trading Futures, and The Breaking of Eggs<br><br>When All Else Fails is politically complex, and its humor is razor-sharp.--Susan Muaddi Darraj, PopMatters<br><br>You're Middle Eastern. You're a college student in conservative central Florida... and 9/11 happens. Who knew coming of age as a Stranger in a Strange Land could be so fraught ' and so savagely funny? Rayyan Al-Shawaf's book offers a completely fresh take on our 21st century's pressing questions. What's identity? What's home? What's in the heart to always find a way forward? When All Else Fails is marvelous and questing and honest. I think it's a book of the year ... no matter the year.--Charles McNair, author of The Epicureans, Pickett's Charge, and Land O' Goshen<br>
Price History
Price Archive shows prices from various stores, lets you see history and find the cheapest. There is no actual sale on the website. For all support, inquiry and suggestion messagescommunication@pricearchive.us