Inheritance of Exile, The: Stories from South Philly

by Susan Muaddi Darraj

In The Inheritance of Exile, Susan Muaddi Darraj expertly weaves a tapestry of the events and struggles in the lives of four Arab-American women. Hanan, Nadia, Reema, and Aliyah search for a meaningful sense of home, caught in the cultural gap that exists between the Middle East and the United States. Daughters of Palestinian immigrants who have settled into the diverse southern section of Philadelphia, the four friends live among Vietnamese, Italians, Irish, and other ethnic groups. Each struggles to reconcile her Arab identity with her American one. Muaddi Darraj adds the perspectives of the girls’ mothers, presented in separate stories, which illuminate the often troubled relationship between first and second generations of immigrants. Her suite of finely detailed portraits of arresting characters, told in evocative, vivid language, is sure to intrigue those seeking enjoyment and insight.
“This sweet, sorrowful book is rich with insight. The Inheritance of Exile tells an authentic story of Arab-American life—these characters are true, expressive, and moving. A fully engaging, satisfying collection indeed.” —Diana Abu-Jaber, author of Origin, Crescent, and The Language of Baklava
 “These dazzling stories of four Palestinian-American women and their families give us a rare portrait of the life of exiles in America. Susan Muaddi Darraj writes with care and intelligence, and her compassion for her flawed and complex characters reminds us of our own humanity.” —Laila Lalami, author of Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits
 “The Inheritance of Exile is a remarkably engaging collection. With this effort, Muaddi Darraj announces her presence as a major voice in the genre of fiction. The collection sparkles with a lively sense of place, conflict, and description. So often, and so vividly, I felt as if I was reading the cultural items from my own memory.” —Steven Salaita, author of Arab American Literary Fictions, Cultures, and Politics

Genres: Short Stories, Contemporary, Fiction, Unfinished, Middle East

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2007

About the author

Susan Muaddi Darraj won the 2016 American Book Award for her novel-in-stories, A Curious Land: Stories from Home.

Her new novel, Behind You Is the Sea (Harper Collins, 2024) is set in Baltimore and follows the stories of a Palestinian American immigrant community.

Her previous short story collection, The Inheritance of Exile, was honored by the U.S. State Department’s Arabic Book Program.

She was named a 2016 USA Ford Fellow, and she has received awards for her writing from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance.

Her new children's chapter book series, FARAH ROCKS, was published from Capstone Books in January 2020. It is the first children's book series to feature an Arab American protagonist.

A Philadelphia native, she currently lives in Baltimore. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @SusanDarraj.

Reviews

[Mareike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books I loved even more the second time around.
These short stories are so multi-layered and the way they talk to each other is absolutely masterfully done.
And it makes you feel for and understand every single one of these women, despite and because of their differences.

[Sabrin Hilal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t usually go for short stories but I really enjoyed reading this. I picked up the book at Palestine Writes because of the title mentioning South Philly, especially as a Palestinian who also grew up in South Philly. It was really familiar to read and it felt like you were with each character directly. So glad I found this book!

[Tareq Ghanem · Rating 4 out of 5]

هجرة العرب الي امريكا كان لها اثر الزلزلة علي اجيال متعاقبه في تغيير الهويه! بدء الشوام الهجرة في اوائل القرن المنصرم وتبعهم الفلسطينيون في أوسطه ولحق بهم المصرييون في أواخره! واذا كانت هجرة الشوام مبرره ﻷنهم سلالة الفينيقين الذين كان سكنهم في البحر أكثر منه في البر،، ، و هجرة الفلسطيني سياسيه محض بعد الشتات ، فأن هجرة المصريين كانت اﻷصعب علي شعب ارتكزت أقدامه في طين ارضه كم احتاج كثيرا من المعاناة ليزيل اثار الطين ويركب مكانها زعانف واجنحه تجوب به المتوسط والأطلنطي او تطير في اﻷجواء لتستقر في موطن الشتات امريكا،، ، القراءةاﻷفقيه المتوازية ﻷعمال مثل التأهون لمعلوف او بركلين هيتس لميرال الطحاوي او حتي شيكاغو لﻷسواني باﻷضافه لهذا الكتاب ممكن ان نستخلص منها ان هناك ثلاثة اجيال في المنفي او في الهجرة؛ الجيل اﻷول هوجيل اﻷباء والذي جاء يحمل معه ارثه الثقافي كما حمل معه التميمية الزرقاء لتحميه من الحسد وبذور اليقطين ليأكلها بعد تحميصا كما كان يفعل في وطنه ونبتة النعنع ليضيفها للشاي مفضلا اياه عن الشاي المثلج اﻷمريكي الهوية كما هو تفضيله للقهوة العربية المطحونه الحب عن اﻷمريكيه الصنع،، ، هذا الجيل حمل معه صليب اذا كان مسيحيا ومسبحه اذا كان مسلما ليعلقهما علي جدار مصمت لتكون شعار ماركة لسلعة قد توقف انتاجها! الجيل الثاني هو اكثر اﻷجيال معاناة فهو مذبذب بين أرث قديم حمله اﻷباء علي كاهلهم وبين مستقبل يحتم اﻷنزلاق للمجتمع الجديد بقيم جديد...هذا التذبذب لا الي هؤلاء ولا الي هؤلاء اصاب هذا الجيل بالتمزق والتصدع...الجيل الثالث هو الجيل المنفصل بالكلية عن قيم اﻷجداد وقد انزلق وغطس الي عنقه في بحر القيم اﻷمريكيه الهادر ولكنه لازل في أزمة اجيال مع اﻷباء،،، ، نستطيع ان نجمل في اﻷتي الجيل اﻷول تائه،، ، والثاني ممسوخ،،،، والثالث منسوخ ،، منسوخ نسخة أمريكية وليستكمل الجيل الرابع تمام النسخ ليذوب كماتذوب قطعة السكر في كأس الحليب ليكونوا اشبه بسود امريكا الذين لا يربطهم علاقة بوطنهم اﻷم أفريقيا الا البشرة السوداء

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I haven't read a collection of short stories this good in a very long time. I found the writing to be straightforward but deceptively complex. The emotions were well-developed yet without that saturation of drama that so characterizes many so-called "heartfelt" books. I felt embarrassed, sad, excited, worried, and happy along with the characters. I also think that this would be an interesting book for many people interested in Arabs or Palestinians because many people consider Arabs to be synonymous with Muslims. In fact, in this collection, only one of the characters (and her family) is Muslim; the rest are Christian, or Catholic to be specific.

I'm excited to go back and read Muaddi Darraj's book on Arab writings. I hope that she continues to write more. I can't speak highly enough of this collection.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book from Susan Muaddi Darraj. I read this one in one sitting — which frankly is the ideal way to read her books, since all of the chapters and characters are interwoven. It’s easier to follow them if you don’t let too much time pass in between reading any of them!
I liked this probably the least of the 3 I’ve read, but it was still excellent. My favorite of her is A Curious Land. This one has rich, rich stories of 4 Arab American girls who grew up together in Philly, with their families. (Though you’d have to ask them if they call themselves Arab Americans, based on one of these stories.) Really good stories about that growing up experience. It also offers a very rich perspective on the immigrant Arab experience, which I don’t have tons of other exposure with.
I hadn’t planned to read this straight through, but once I started, it just all flowed together.

[C.Z. Writer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read this gem back in June. A contemporary narrative of Middle Eastern American girls who are in-between cultures, not quite American and not quite Middle Eastern. This beautiful prose also offers the viewpoints of their mothers navigating American life as Middle Eastern women, but maintaining their cultural identities, values, and language, as well as the roles they play regarding their daughters' collective upbringings.

[Zachary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't say enough how much these stories draw the reader into the lives of each of the characters. They span the lives and perspectives of four Palestinian-American friends -- Nadia, Aliyah, Hanan, and Reema -- and their mothers. All 13 stories are told in a straight-forwardly poignant fashion. The extended piece "The Journey Home" is especially noteworthy. Not many works of fiction make me cry, and that one had me in tears on more than one occasion.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I needed to do something unscripted, hard, real, something that maybe hurt, like bursting a blister before the white liquid inside made it explode. It was still pain, but at least you held the pin." (67)

Beautiful collection of stories about the lives of four Arab-American women. Darraj pulls the reader in with her full portraits of each character.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good book; I'm so glad I randomly stumbled upon it. This a book of vignettes of the lives of 4 Arab-American women who are children of immigrants living in Philadelphia. Each character is so compelling and well-thought out. The way that the author intertwines their stories is beautiful. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read more from this author.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how I love these books! I wish they were in print, hoping the success of Behind You is the Sea might inspire the publisher to put out a boxed set. Even though I do t buy books anymore, I would buy it!
I am also learning a lot, which is so relevant with what is going in now. Thank you, Susan Darraj, for writing such great books!

[Layla Sabourian · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love literary fiction that explores the complexities of being caught between two worlds, this book is a thought-provoking read. However, it also left me with a sense of melancholy—how generations of women continue to wrestle with the same struggles.

[Carol Meerschaert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gotta love a book set in South Philly. Great peak into Palestinian culture for those who came to America.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really amazing book that took me totally by surprise. It's a collection of tightly-linked stories about two generations of Palestinian-American women living in a Philadelphia neighborhood. The structure, as well as the focus on mother-daughter relationships and the immigrant experience, is reminiscent of Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club." But the daughters in Susan Muaddi Darraj's stories come from a younger generation than Tan's characters, and -- as the subtitle of the book indicates -- the book has as much to say about life in Philadelphia (drawn with loving, specific detail) as it does about Palestine.

I learned a lot about Arab-American culture from this book. For instance, three of the families in the book are Christian and one is Muslim, but that difference is less important than I thought it would be (among the Arab characters that is; the Muslim family's relationship with non-Arab Americans is, sadly, shown to be more difficult).

Beyond the cultural interest of the book, though, "Inheritance of Exile" is simply a great story; or, more precisely, it's a collection of small stories that add up to a greater whole. Characters introduced in the first story continue to reappear throughout the collection and there are a few threads from the first story that aren't tied up until near the end (including a love story that really made me sniffle). What really sets this work apart is the emotional truth it expresses. Nothing feels like it's gimmicky or was put in for show; everything that happens to the characters, and everything they do, feels real and essential. The material isn't always easy -- there are family deaths and painful divorces, and descriptions of life in refugee camps. But ultimately, this book paints such a complete and authentic-feeling picture of its characters that, when I put it down, I genuinely felt like I was saying good-bye to a group of friends.

Anna, I think you would really like this if you can find it at your library -- it's a university press book, so it probably wouldn't be in a bookstore :-/.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories--which can stand alone but fit perfectly together as a novel--focus on four Arab-American women, friend who grew up together in Philadelphia: Nadia, whose mother won't let her tell her boyfriend about the extent of her injuries from a car accident because it would shame his family; Aliyah, a writer who clashes with her parents when she inserts true family stories into her fiction and who meets a man during a summer visit to Ramallah and realizes she's too Arab to be an American and too American to be an Arab; Hanan, whose decision to marry an American drives a wedge between her and her mother and who later realizes her husband doesn't understand her; and Reema, whose boyfriend is obsessed with the idea of Arabian harems and gets all of his ideas about her culture from old movies.

In weaving in stories of their mothers, who are Palestinian immigrants, The Inheritance of Exile reminds me a lot of Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club. Cultural tensions abound, but there also is a sense of fierce love, of a mother's desire for her daughter to accomplish more than she did in her homeland.

Muaddi Darraj does a wonderful job moving between the characters and the stories, giving each a distinctive voice. The stories flowed so beautifully and read so easily that it wasn’t long before I turned the last page, and it was sad, feeling like I’d closed the door on old friends.

Full review at Diary of an Eccentric.

[Rana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Inheritance of Exile is a compilation of short stories about four Arab American girls; Nadia, Aliya, Hanan and Reema, and their mothers who are Palestinian refugees. The girls are trying to figure out their identities. Are they Arabs, Americans, or both? The mothers as well are battling to adapt and assimilate in an American context that is completely different from what they’re used to.

As in a lot of Arab American texts, food is mentioned excessively. There is mansaf, tabbooleh, kunafeh, and mujaddara. The works. The stories are entertaining enough. They are light and easy to read. I finished the book in a day actually.

Full review at http://ranarants.blogspot.com/2012/01...

[Ozma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though it started slow, it picked up pretty fast and proved a pretty addictive read. The heroes of this short story-novella are the Arab American men, the dads, the brothers, the lovers, who stand by their neurotic Arab American significant others. (White American men don't come out looking very good.) Who would have thunk it? I'm reviewing this book for a magazine, and I'll give it a good review.

[Rahat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read. It was rather nostalgic reading about the immigrant experience with Philadelphia as a backdrop. At one point when two characters met at the "clothespin," you know exactly where they were! Overall, though, a very refreshing collection of short stories.

[Amani · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intelligent, insightful collection of short stories told through the eyes of four young women making sense of what it means to be Arab in America. You don't have to be Arab, or even an immigrant, to find something of yourself in these stories.

[nadia]

read a promising review in the urbanite...any comments?

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful! Complex account of daily life outside of place.

[Bethany armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING! This book is a great read especially for those of us living in Philly but the stories are universal.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hyphenated identity and the clashes it so often involves with parents and significant others.