Rawan's Middle Eastern Fiction Reading Group

We are delighted to announce a new Reading Group this autumn! Join us as we explore powerful, poignant voices from the Middle East through literature that lingers long after the final page. We will delve into novels that illuminate identity, exile, resistance, and belonging — told by authors whose work challenges and enriches our understanding of the region and its people.

This month, Rawan has chosen Susan Abulhawa’s Mornings in Jenin, a sweeping Palestinian saga that spans four generations. With lyrical prose and unflinching honesty, Abulhawa brings to life the enduring impact of ethnic cleansing, displacement, and love amidst unimaginable loss in Palestine. It's a book that moves between personal grief and collective history, and refuses to look away.

Whether you have roots in the region or are just beginning to discover its literature, this group is open to all. Our discussions are welcoming, insightful, and always grounded in curiosity and respect.

"'The roots of our grief coil so deeply into loss that death has come to live with us like a family member who makes you happy by avoiding you, but who is still one of the family. Our anger is rage that Westerners cannot understand. Our sadness can make the stones weep. And the way we love is no exception, Amal.'

'It is the kind of love you can know only if you have felt the intense hunger that makes your body eat itself at night. The kind you know only after life shields you from falling bombs or bullets passing through your body. It is the love that dives naked toward infinity's reach. I think it is where God lives.'"