Susan Abulhawa's Blog
August 9, 2020
New Novel: Against The Loveless World
I'm very excited to announce the forthcoming publication of my new novel, Against the Loveless World, to be released in the US on August 25, 2020.
This is the story of a woman with many names. Her mother named her "Nahr," to keep a promise she made to the Jordan River when she was forced to cross it on foot to escape Israel's invasion in 1967. But "Yaqoot" is what her father recorded on her birth certificate, in a drunken nod to his mistress at the time. Her younger brother Jehad nicknamed her "Nanu," and the powerful men who paid her to attend their late night parties called her "Almas".
The story is told in first person. As Nahr sits, locked away in solitary confinement, she spends her days reflecting on the dramatic events that landed her in an Israeli prison.
Born in Kuwait in the late 60s to Palestinian refugees, she dreamed of falling in love with the perfect man, children, modern appliances, and possibly opening her own beauty salon. Instead, at twenty years old she found herself an abandoned wife, her family teetering on the brink of poverty. She turned to sex work, until the US invasion of Iraq makes her a refugee, as her parents had been.
After trekking through another temporary home in Jordan, she lands in Palestine, where she finds a home, falls in love, and finds in herself a revolutionary, as her destiny unfolds under Israeli occupation.
Good Morning America chose it as one of the top 20 books to read in August.
It was one of four book recommendations chosen by Apartment Therapy.
Likewise, it made CNN Underscored's list of the top 20 books to read in August.
This is the story of a woman with many names. Her mother named her "Nahr," to keep a promise she made to the Jordan River when she was forced to cross it on foot to escape Israel's invasion in 1967. But "Yaqoot" is what her father recorded on her birth certificate, in a drunken nod to his mistress at the time. Her younger brother Jehad nicknamed her "Nanu," and the powerful men who paid her to attend their late night parties called her "Almas".
The story is told in first person. As Nahr sits, locked away in solitary confinement, she spends her days reflecting on the dramatic events that landed her in an Israeli prison.
Born in Kuwait in the late 60s to Palestinian refugees, she dreamed of falling in love with the perfect man, children, modern appliances, and possibly opening her own beauty salon. Instead, at twenty years old she found herself an abandoned wife, her family teetering on the brink of poverty. She turned to sex work, until the US invasion of Iraq makes her a refugee, as her parents had been.
After trekking through another temporary home in Jordan, she lands in Palestine, where she finds a home, falls in love, and finds in herself a revolutionary, as her destiny unfolds under Israeli occupation.
Good Morning America chose it as one of the top 20 books to read in August.
It was one of four book recommendations chosen by Apartment Therapy.
Likewise, it made CNN Underscored's list of the top 20 books to read in August.
October 27, 2015
October 16, 2015
April 3, 2015
November 30, 2014
Writing A First Draft - Part II
Writing the second novel was a vastly different experience than the first. This time, there were expectations, both internal and external. Publishers and readers were waiting for another novel and I, with a bestseller to claim, expected to have gotten better at the craft of writing. The opposite was true. I felt paralyzed and everything I wrote felt contrived. The more I tried the greater my self-doubt. My agent relayed a conversation she had with a publisher and all I remember is this "Looks like Susan is going to be another one book author." I think my agent thought that could be a motivator, but it wasn't. To the contrary. I threw out two partly written manuscripts I had written and stopped writing for a few months. I did, after all, still have a full time job in medical research and medical writing (all my formal education has been in biological science. But that's another story).
I went back to writing after a while and although I wasn't entirely happy with what I was producing, I just kept at it. This time, the writing didn't feel forced, even though it was bad. The difference is that I gave myself permission to write a terrible first draft, and in my mind, I likened it the art of sculpting. A sculptor starts with a large, amorphous lump of clay in the general shape of the final creation. For me, the mass of written pages was my lump of clay, which I could go back and shape, chisel, and refine later. But I had to produce the "clay" first. And that's what I did. I had about 450 pages of mostly stream of consciousness writing. Through that process, the contours of the characters began to emerge and I got to know them in the subsequent rewriting, where they came more into focus. As always, I fell in love with each of them and sought to know and understand them so they, eventually, could guide in writing their lives.
Of course, I had an editor whom I trust in this process: Martha Hughes. She saw the terrible writing and gave me general impressions, which were immensely helpful. She never judged, was always encouraging and always helpful. Having someone I could trust to read the early bad writing draft was essential. And for me, criticism at that stage doesn't work. I already knew it wasn't yet good and I needed to hear what worked. I needed to hear encouragement because that's how insecure I felt.
I eventually felt good enough about the direction of the novel to leave my full time job to finish writing. It was a big financial risk for a single parent in the US, but it was the only way and I still had some income from the first novel. A year later, I submitted and sold it. The financial risk, although calculated, was real and is still a problem for me, but well worth it. I'm doing something I love, finally. And I think I can keep doing it. It's a privilege to own my time, even though I work long hours. And I don't take that privilege for granted. I'm grateful every day for this unexpected life.
I went back to writing after a while and although I wasn't entirely happy with what I was producing, I just kept at it. This time, the writing didn't feel forced, even though it was bad. The difference is that I gave myself permission to write a terrible first draft, and in my mind, I likened it the art of sculpting. A sculptor starts with a large, amorphous lump of clay in the general shape of the final creation. For me, the mass of written pages was my lump of clay, which I could go back and shape, chisel, and refine later. But I had to produce the "clay" first. And that's what I did. I had about 450 pages of mostly stream of consciousness writing. Through that process, the contours of the characters began to emerge and I got to know them in the subsequent rewriting, where they came more into focus. As always, I fell in love with each of them and sought to know and understand them so they, eventually, could guide in writing their lives.
Of course, I had an editor whom I trust in this process: Martha Hughes. She saw the terrible writing and gave me general impressions, which were immensely helpful. She never judged, was always encouraging and always helpful. Having someone I could trust to read the early bad writing draft was essential. And for me, criticism at that stage doesn't work. I already knew it wasn't yet good and I needed to hear what worked. I needed to hear encouragement because that's how insecure I felt.
I eventually felt good enough about the direction of the novel to leave my full time job to finish writing. It was a big financial risk for a single parent in the US, but it was the only way and I still had some income from the first novel. A year later, I submitted and sold it. The financial risk, although calculated, was real and is still a problem for me, but well worth it. I'm doing something I love, finally. And I think I can keep doing it. It's a privilege to own my time, even though I work long hours. And I don't take that privilege for granted. I'm grateful every day for this unexpected life.
November 13, 2014
Writing a First Draft - Part I
The question I encounter most often from aspiring writers has to do with writing a first draft of a novel. In truth, I'm still trying to figure things out myself and all I have to offer are my experiences with two novels.
Writing MORNINGS IN JENIN was very different than writing THE BLUE BETWEEN SKY AND WATER. The former was my debut novel. There were no expectations (not even from myself) and no real or imagined pressure. I was a biologist by education and profession, and writing a novel after I had been laid off from a job seemed ancillary to my life. Furthermore, I didn't know what I was capable of producing. So, I was happy with everything I wrote in the early stages, even though, in hindsight, the writing was atrocious. I would be very embarrassed to let anyone read those early drafts. I just didn't know it at the time and I was excited to see volume as the pages accumulated. I recall the great satisfaction I felt once upon seeing 80 printed pages of writing. It didn't matter that it was just awful prose or that the characters were stick figures. I didn't know any of that yet. I was just pleased with volume. It was only later, as I got to know the characters and fell in love with them, that I realized how bad the writing had been previously. It was in the endless rewriting that the story took form, gained color, texture, and smell, and moved, that I realized how bad the first draft had been.
I tried to remember the first experience when I began writing the second novel, but I could not duplicate it. I was beset with terrible self doubt and wasn't able to write much at all. I shared these feelings with a friend who has written several novels and he confirmed that the experience of writing that first novel is unique in the life of a writer and cannot be duplicated. His advice was to just stick with it. Stay tuned for Part II, where I will describe how I managed to craft the first draft of the second novel.
Writing MORNINGS IN JENIN was very different than writing THE BLUE BETWEEN SKY AND WATER. The former was my debut novel. There were no expectations (not even from myself) and no real or imagined pressure. I was a biologist by education and profession, and writing a novel after I had been laid off from a job seemed ancillary to my life. Furthermore, I didn't know what I was capable of producing. So, I was happy with everything I wrote in the early stages, even though, in hindsight, the writing was atrocious. I would be very embarrassed to let anyone read those early drafts. I just didn't know it at the time and I was excited to see volume as the pages accumulated. I recall the great satisfaction I felt once upon seeing 80 printed pages of writing. It didn't matter that it was just awful prose or that the characters were stick figures. I didn't know any of that yet. I was just pleased with volume. It was only later, as I got to know the characters and fell in love with them, that I realized how bad the writing had been previously. It was in the endless rewriting that the story took form, gained color, texture, and smell, and moved, that I realized how bad the first draft had been.
I tried to remember the first experience when I began writing the second novel, but I could not duplicate it. I was beset with terrible self doubt and wasn't able to write much at all. I shared these feelings with a friend who has written several novels and he confirmed that the experience of writing that first novel is unique in the life of a writer and cannot be duplicated. His advice was to just stick with it. Stay tuned for Part II, where I will describe how I managed to craft the first draft of the second novel.
November 11, 2014
clutter, procrastination, and a new novel
Dear GR Friends,
This is my second post in ten months. Clearly, I'm not a very good blogger. I'm also a terrible housekeeper and I procrastinate. Somehow, all these things are related. I'm sure of it. It's probably no coincidence that I felt inspired to write this post just after thoroughly cleaning the house and putting all the laundry away. It's 8:44 am and I've been up since 5 am, my normal waking time.
My tidy surroundings have galvanized me and I'm on a roll. Tomorrow (sorry, a clean house does nothing for my inclination to procrastinate), I will post about writing a first draft. It will be an honest look into my process, however cluttered and replete with self-doubt it is. And I will tell you how I made it through that journey twice.
For now, I'd like to announce that my second novel will be available in 2015. The English original will be published by Bloomsbury in August. Translations, so far including Norwegian, German, Finnish, Swedish, Dutch, and Italian will be published between spring and fall.
The new novel is entitled THE BLUE BETWEEN SKY AND WATER. It's a multi-generational story set in Gaza. Here's the published description:
"From Gaza, the story in The Blue Between Sky and Water is told by a boy named Khaled. He sits silently in the midst of four generations of women who move through the world around him, arranging their lives according to the rhythms of his body. His great grandmother, who had conversations with a djinn. His great aunt Mariam, who remained ten years old forever, by the river, when Israel stole her heritage and made of her a refugee. His grandmother, Nazmiyeh, who was the baddest, prettiest girl in Beit Daras. An eternal ringleader, a sassy matriarch who nurtured all of her family. His mother, Alwan, who loved quietly and endlessly, and whose embroidery sustained the whole family while she stitched the stars and moon into place. She hid her pain under her skin, in her vital organs. His mother's cousin, Nur, who got lost in America and came back to the Mediterranean shore searching for her parts. And Rhet Shel, his little sister, who was the promise they all made to each other. She held up the sun."
love,
susie
This is my second post in ten months. Clearly, I'm not a very good blogger. I'm also a terrible housekeeper and I procrastinate. Somehow, all these things are related. I'm sure of it. It's probably no coincidence that I felt inspired to write this post just after thoroughly cleaning the house and putting all the laundry away. It's 8:44 am and I've been up since 5 am, my normal waking time.
My tidy surroundings have galvanized me and I'm on a roll. Tomorrow (sorry, a clean house does nothing for my inclination to procrastinate), I will post about writing a first draft. It will be an honest look into my process, however cluttered and replete with self-doubt it is. And I will tell you how I made it through that journey twice.
For now, I'd like to announce that my second novel will be available in 2015. The English original will be published by Bloomsbury in August. Translations, so far including Norwegian, German, Finnish, Swedish, Dutch, and Italian will be published between spring and fall.
The new novel is entitled THE BLUE BETWEEN SKY AND WATER. It's a multi-generational story set in Gaza. Here's the published description:
"From Gaza, the story in The Blue Between Sky and Water is told by a boy named Khaled. He sits silently in the midst of four generations of women who move through the world around him, arranging their lives according to the rhythms of his body. His great grandmother, who had conversations with a djinn. His great aunt Mariam, who remained ten years old forever, by the river, when Israel stole her heritage and made of her a refugee. His grandmother, Nazmiyeh, who was the baddest, prettiest girl in Beit Daras. An eternal ringleader, a sassy matriarch who nurtured all of her family. His mother, Alwan, who loved quietly and endlessly, and whose embroidery sustained the whole family while she stitched the stars and moon into place. She hid her pain under her skin, in her vital organs. His mother's cousin, Nur, who got lost in America and came back to the Mediterranean shore searching for her parts. And Rhet Shel, his little sister, who was the promise they all made to each other. She held up the sun."
love,
susie
February 1, 2014
New to Goodreads
Dear Friends,
I'm old school when it comes to books. I still don't read e-books and my personal library consists of physical shelves with hard copies that require dusting once in a while. Books take up a lot of space in my home. I've had to pay for more shelves to be built. I don't particularly appreciate the dust bunnies that collect behind and on top of them. Worst of all, they're vulnerable to loss, as hundreds perished in a basement flood.
But the thought of reducing my books to an unseen virtual existence hurts a little. I can't imagine my home without the comfort of seeing stacks of books there for me. Growing up I didn't have access to books and I envied people with large libraries. Now I have one of my own and I'm keeping it.
I'm budging though. Although I had this goodreads account for some time, I've only recently started to discover its potential. Having public virtual shelves appeals to me and I plan, over time, to add some of my favorite books here, with reviews. The truth is that there are many books on my shelves that I remember loving, but can no longer recall the details of them. So, this site is probably a good way to chronicle the magic if I ever choose to revisit any of these stories.
Thank you to all the people who have friended me here. I am still new to this. I saw there were thousands of requests for giveaways. I'm not sure what this is exactly. I'm also trying to figure out how to add the various language editions to my author page. Please be patient with me. I'd like to accommodate readers as much as possible. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to inbox me.
warmly,
susie
I'm old school when it comes to books. I still don't read e-books and my personal library consists of physical shelves with hard copies that require dusting once in a while. Books take up a lot of space in my home. I've had to pay for more shelves to be built. I don't particularly appreciate the dust bunnies that collect behind and on top of them. Worst of all, they're vulnerable to loss, as hundreds perished in a basement flood.
But the thought of reducing my books to an unseen virtual existence hurts a little. I can't imagine my home without the comfort of seeing stacks of books there for me. Growing up I didn't have access to books and I envied people with large libraries. Now I have one of my own and I'm keeping it.
I'm budging though. Although I had this goodreads account for some time, I've only recently started to discover its potential. Having public virtual shelves appeals to me and I plan, over time, to add some of my favorite books here, with reviews. The truth is that there are many books on my shelves that I remember loving, but can no longer recall the details of them. So, this site is probably a good way to chronicle the magic if I ever choose to revisit any of these stories.
Thank you to all the people who have friended me here. I am still new to this. I saw there were thousands of requests for giveaways. I'm not sure what this is exactly. I'm also trying to figure out how to add the various language editions to my author page. Please be patient with me. I'd like to accommodate readers as much as possible. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to inbox me.
warmly,
susie
