Haddad’s ‘The Book of Queens’ Packs in a Century of Levantine Cataclysms
The ‘queens’ of Joumana Haddad’s The Book of Queens confront the violent vicissitudes of Levantine history.
Rayyan Al-Shawaf
Rayyan Al-Shawaf is a Malta-based book critic. His debut novel, "When All Else Fails," was just published by Interlink Books.
Viet Thanh Nguyen Nearly Cleaves His Protagonist in Two in ‘The Committed’
Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Committed loosens what binds the protagonist in his earlier book, The Sympathizer, and nearly cleaves his protagonist in two.
Debut Novel ‘Older Brother’ Straddles France, Syria, and Sibling Suspicions
In Mahir Guven’s debut novel, Older Brother, a young Frenchman’s return to his country from war-torn Syria derails his older brother’s life.
Debut ‘The Most Fun We Ever Had’ Brims with Emotional Intelligence
Cleverly, Claire Lombardo's novel The Most Fun We Ever Had de-romanticizes motherhood even as it sanctifies it.
When Harper Lee Came up Short: ‘Furious Hours’
Casey Cep traces Harper Lee's winding road to defeat in Furious Hours.
‘Lake Success’: It’s All About Your State of Mind
If you wade into Lake Success, or even just repose on its banks, are you primed for a life of achievement and glory, similar to the way taking a dip in the River Styx renders you invulnerable?