Scan barcode
kerriski's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Dementia, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Mental illness, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, and Classism
bookishmillennial's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
Overall, this is a short story collection (but the stories are interconnected and we do come full circle in the end) of three Palestinian American families in Baltimore, Maryland. They are navigating topics like racism, misogyny, classism, being first-and second- generation immigrants, neurodivergence, marital issues, pregnancy, and more. While some stories called to me more than others and I can't deny that I thoroughly appreciated SMD's voice and depth she provided for certain characters/POVs, I couldn't get behind the copaganda, which feels like such a mindfuck, as I know she has been vocal in #FreePalestine. So many people who want a free Palestine recognize the fact that all of our liberation is connected, and I really could have done without the unchallenged copaganda.
I went in with an open mind, but the glorification of cops/policing in this is inexcusable. Look, I waited for SMD to provide some sort of commentary on this, but besides a separate chapter (not the cop Marcus's two chapters) mentioning a character recounting a friend not knowing how to feel about basically signing up to kill Black and brown men (in reference to him thinking about joining the army), there is no implicit or explicit commentary on Marcus' job as a cop. This really does speak to me as copaganda, and I tried so hard to believe that Marcus or someone else would call him out on his complicity in the violence enacted on specifically Black bodies in BALTIMORE (like I can't believe I have to point this out?!), but to no avail. Super disappointing and saddening. Again, I will give the author another try, like maybe her middle-grade stuff? However, this one missed the mark for me and fell into wildly problematic territory.
I also felt the chapter on the parents with a neurodivergent child were..... something. I fully recognize ableism is real, and that even if you have one marginalization, it does not mean you cannot act or think in harmful ways towards other marginalizations. However, I don't know how this is supposed to operate within a book that was billed as, "fac[ing] stereotypes about Palestinian culture head-on and, shifting perspectives to weave a complex social fabric replete with weddings, funerals, broken hearts, and devastating secrets." I don't know. I really am a bit disheartened by those three chapters.
I really encourage others to listen to ownvoices reviewers (I'm neurodivergent, but not Palestinian, so I'm not necessarily saying listen to me lol I'm nobody), both Palestinian and autistic reviewers, because their POVs matter and should be taken into context.
Overall, this is a short story collection (but the stories are interconnected and we do come full circle in the end) of three Palestinian American families in Baltimore, Maryland. They are navigating topics like racism, misogyny, classism, being first-and second- generation immigrants, neurodivergence, marital issues, pregnancy, and more. While some stories called to me more than others and I can't deny that I thoroughly appreciated SMD's voice and depth she provided for certain characters/POVs, I couldn't get behind the copaganda, which feels like such a mindfuck, as I know she has been vocal in #FreePalestine. So many people who want a free Palestine recognize the fact that all of our liberation is connected, and I really could have done without the unchallenged copaganda.
I went in with an open mind, but the glorification of cops/policing in this is inexcusable. Look, I waited for SMD to provide some sort of commentary on this, but besides a separate chapter (not the cop Marcus's two chapters) mentioning a character recounting a friend not knowing how to feel about basically signing up to kill Black and brown men (in reference to him thinking about joining the army), there is no implicit or explicit commentary on Marcus' job as a cop. This really does speak to me as copaganda, and I tried so hard to believe that Marcus or someone else would call him out on his complicity in the violence enacted on specifically Black bodies in BALTIMORE (like I can't believe I have to point this out?!), but to no avail. Super disappointing and saddening. Again, I will give the author another try, like maybe her middle-grade stuff? However, this one missed the mark for me and fell into wildly problematic territory.
I also felt the chapter on the parents with a neurodivergent child were..... something. I fully recognize ableism is real, and that even if you have one marginalization, it does not mean you cannot act or think in harmful ways towards other marginalizations. However, I don't know how this is supposed to operate within a book that was billed as, "fac[ing] stereotypes about Palestinian culture head-on and, shifting perspectives to weave a complex social fabric replete with weddings, funerals, broken hearts, and devastating secrets." I don't know. I really am a bit disheartened by those three chapters.
I really encourage others to listen to ownvoices reviewers (I'm neurodivergent, but not Palestinian, so I'm not necessarily saying listen to me lol I'm nobody), both Palestinian and autistic reviewers, because their POVs matter and should be taken into context.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Dementia
Moderate: Cancer, Self harm, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Murder
robinks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was such a beautiful collection of interwoven, nuanced stories. I loved getting to see the characters from different perspectives. Escorting the Body was a powerful way to end the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Islamophobia, Dementia, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Infertility, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
dragongirl271's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
“Destiny put everyone on a stage, to play a role, and sometimes the spotlight slipped off you to give you a break. At other times, it burned into you directly, relentlessly, as you stumbled through a soliloquy of exhaustion.”
Behind You Is The Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj
One of the things that surprised me when I finally got back into reading regularly last year was how much I enjoy a collection of short stories. In fact, one of last year's books that I still constantly think about is a short story collection. So, I was really excited when blackwalnutbooks included the short story prompt again for this year's DecolonizeYourShelf2024 and I was even more excited when I saw posts about this book as a 2024 release by a beloved Palestinian author. And, let me tell you, the synopsis on this book does not do it justice.
I don't have the character space to talk about this book, but I'll give it a shot. Darraj gives us an overarching tale of 3 Palestinian-American families in a series of short stories that peek into short moments in the characters’ lives. Almost all the stories focus on a different character (Marcus gets two) and combined span years. These characters grow, learn about themselves, tackle stereotypes, love deeply, and grieve. We get to see a glimpse of the immigrant experience and the sharing of cultures. Each character decides what it means to them to be Arab and Palestinian in today's world. What family and culture mean to them. The journeys are messy and beautiful and human and this will not be the last time I read through them all.
I love the idea of an episodic novel like this where all the short stories are connected. Occasionally, it was hard to keep all the names straight in the audiobook, but not everything can be perfect for every format. By the way, the audiobook is narrated extremely well.
Behind You Is The Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj
One of the things that surprised me when I finally got back into reading regularly last year was how much I enjoy a collection of short stories. In fact, one of last year's books that I still constantly think about is a short story collection. So, I was really excited when blackwalnutbooks included the short story prompt again for this year's DecolonizeYourShelf2024 and I was even more excited when I saw posts about this book as a 2024 release by a beloved Palestinian author. And, let me tell you, the synopsis on this book does not do it justice.
I don't have the character space to talk about this book, but I'll give it a shot. Darraj gives us an overarching tale of 3 Palestinian-American families in a series of short stories that peek into short moments in the characters’ lives. Almost all the stories focus on a different character (Marcus gets two) and combined span years. These characters grow, learn about themselves, tackle stereotypes, love deeply, and grieve. We get to see a glimpse of the immigrant experience and the sharing of cultures. Each character decides what it means to them to be Arab and Palestinian in today's world. What family and culture mean to them. The journeys are messy and beautiful and human and this will not be the last time I read through them all.
I love the idea of an episodic novel like this where all the short stories are connected. Occasionally, it was hard to keep all the names straight in the audiobook, but not everything can be perfect for every format. By the way, the audiobook is narrated extremely well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Cancer, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Classism
paulasuze's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
3.75/5
Susan Muaddi Darraj's debut novel is a beautiful exploration of life in the diaspora for Palestinian immigrants in America. The book exists in the universe of three families in Baltimore, Maryland, each chapter telling the story of a different family member. This multi-generational tale tackles difficult topics, from eating disorders, to the intersection of class and race, to the cycle of poverty, to sexual assault, to anti-Arab sentiment and Islamophobia, to inter- and intra-community violence. Few characters endear themselves to the reader, but their stories are no less engrossing because of it.
The blurb states that the book faces stereotypes about Palestinians head-on, and in some cases that's true. In a few stories though, I wasn't sure if the narrative was actually reinforcing stereotypes rather than dispelling them. Additionally, there is a lot of hero worship/glorification of policing and the US military which I found interesting. Because of the policing/military violence under the occupation in Palestine, I would have expected the opposite, but maybe Darraj is noting that the first generation children of these immigrants are so removed from Palestine that they do not know that violence and therefore don't abhor the institution of it. Unclear!
Overall though, it was a compelling story and a debut that definitely has me keeping an eye out for what the author puts out next.
Susan Muaddi Darraj's debut novel is a beautiful exploration of life in the diaspora for Palestinian immigrants in America. The book exists in the universe of three families in Baltimore, Maryland, each chapter telling the story of a different family member. This multi-generational tale tackles difficult topics, from eating disorders, to the intersection of class and race, to the cycle of poverty, to sexual assault, to anti-Arab sentiment and Islamophobia, to inter- and intra-community violence. Few characters endear themselves to the reader, but their stories are no less engrossing because of it.
The blurb states that the book faces stereotypes about Palestinians head-on, and in some cases that's true. In a few stories though, I wasn't sure if the narrative was actually reinforcing stereotypes rather than dispelling them. Additionally, there is a lot of hero worship/glorification of policing and the US military which I found interesting. Because of the policing/military violence under the occupation in Palestine, I would have expected the opposite, but maybe Darraj is noting that the first generation children of these immigrants are so removed from Palestine that they do not know that violence and therefore don't abhor the institution of it. Unclear!
Overall though, it was a compelling story and a debut that definitely has me keeping an eye out for what the author puts out next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Police brutality
Minor: Torture and Cultural appropriation
bookreviewswithkb's review against another edition
emotional
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
thank you @netgalley and @harpervia for the early review copy!
there were parts of this book that were really beautiful. i loved how the author wove together interconnected stories of the members of 3 different families. how each felt like a short story, but also a continuation. how the reader is exposed to various ways that Palestinian immigrants might experience america. the beautiful storytelling.
but there were also some problematic components that made my experience with this book difficult, including Arab stereotypes, misogyny and the glorification of policing
there were parts of this book that were really beautiful. i loved how the author wove together interconnected stories of the members of 3 different families. how each felt like a short story, but also a continuation. how the reader is exposed to various ways that Palestinian immigrants might experience america. the beautiful storytelling.
but there were also some problematic components that made my experience with this book difficult, including Arab stereotypes, misogyny and the glorification of policing
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality and War