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Cover: Her First Palestinian and Other Stories by Saeed Teebi. 'Intelligent, original and bursting with vitality' - Ayelet Tsabari, Author of The Art of Leaving. A soft yellow background with an small orange, unpeeled with the peel spiraling to its right.

Quick View {"id":6983133429819,"title":"Her First Palestinian","handle":"her-first-palestinian","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinalist for the 2022 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eElegant, surprising stories about Palestinian immigrants in Canada navigating their identities in circumstances that push them to the emotional brink.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSaeed Teebi’s intense, engrossing stories plunge into the lives of characters grappling with their experiences as Palestinian immigrants to Canada. A doctor teaches his girlfriend about his country, only for her to fall into a consuming obsession with the Middle East conflict. A math professor risks his family’s destruction by slandering the king of a despotic, oil-rich country. A university student invents an imaginary girlfriend to fit in with his callous, womanizing roommates. A lawyer takes on the impossible mission of becoming a body smuggler. A lonely widower travels to Russia in search of a movie starlet he met in his youth in historical Jaffa. A refugee who escaped violent circumstances rebels against the kindness of his sponsor. These taut and compelling stories engage the immigrant experience and reflect the Palestinian diaspora with grace and insight.\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2022-09-13T13:43:33-04:00","created_at":"2022-09-13T13:37:47-04:00","vendor":"House of Anansi Press Inc","type":"","tags":["Adult BIPOC Voices","Adult Short Stories","Astoria","By (author) Teebi Saeed","Literary Fiction","pub date: 2022-08-02"],"price":1899,"price_min":1899,"price_max":2299,"available":true,"price_varies":true,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":40780122062907,"title":"trade paperback","option1":"trade paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781487010874","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Her First Palestinian - trade paperback","public_title":"trade paperback","options":["trade paperback"],"price":2299,"weight":250,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781487010874","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":40780122161211,"title":"epub","option1":"epub","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781487010881","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Her First Palestinian - epub","public_title":"epub","options":["epub"],"price":1899,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":null,"barcode":"9781487010881","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/9781487010874.jpg?v=1705329728"],"featured_image":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/9781487010874.jpg?v=1705329728","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":"Cover: Her First Palestinian and Other Stories by Saeed Teebi. 'Intelligent, original and bursting with vitality' - Ayelet Tsabari, Author of The Art of Leaving. A soft yellow background with an small orange, unpeeled with the peel spiraling to its right.","id":24105733357627,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.786,"height":2100,"width":1650,"src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/9781487010874.jpg?v=1705329728"},"aspect_ratio":0.786,"height":2100,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/9781487010874.jpg?v=1705329728","width":1650}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinalist for the 2022 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eElegant, surprising stories about Palestinian immigrants in Canada navigating their identities in circumstances that push them to the emotional brink.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSaeed Teebi’s intense, engrossing stories plunge into the lives of characters grappling with their experiences as Palestinian immigrants to Canada. A doctor teaches his girlfriend about his country, only for her to fall into a consuming obsession with the Middle East conflict. A math professor risks his family’s destruction by slandering the king of a despotic, oil-rich country. A university student invents an imaginary girlfriend to fit in with his callous, womanizing roommates. A lawyer takes on the impossible mission of becoming a body smuggler. A lonely widower travels to Russia in search of a movie starlet he met in his youth in historical Jaffa. A refugee who escaped violent circumstances rebels against the kindness of his sponsor. These taut and compelling stories engage the immigrant experience and reflect the Palestinian diaspora with grace and insight.\u003c\/p\u003e"} {"AlsoRecommendedISBN_0":"9781487007461","AlsoRecommendedISBN_1":"9781487009571","AlsoRecommendedISBN_2":"9781487010409","BASICMainSubject":"FIC029000","BASICMainSubjectLiteral":"FICTION \/ Short Stories","BiographicalNote":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSAEED TEEBI\u003c\/strong\u003e is a writer and lawyer based in Toronto. His story “Her First Palestinian” was shortlisted for the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize. He was born to Palestinian parents in Kuwait and, after some time in the U.S., has lived in Canada since 1993.\u003c\/p\u003e","BISACSubjectLiteral_0":"FICTION \/ Short Stories (single author)","BISACSubjectLiteral_1":"FICTION \/ World Literature \/ Middle East \/ General","BISACSubject_0":"FIC029000","BISACSubject_1":"FIC111000","ContributorBio_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSAEED TEEBI\u003c\/strong\u003e is a writer and lawyer based in Toronto. His story “Her First Palestinian” was shortlisted for the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize. He was born to Palestinian parents in Kuwait and, after some time in the U.S., has lived in Canada since 1993.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n","ContributorRole_0":"By (author)","Contributor_0":"Teebi, Saeed (CA)","Description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinalist for the 2022 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eElegant, surprising stories about Palestinian immigrants in Canada navigating their identities in circumstances that push them to the emotional brink.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\nSaeed Teebi’s intense, engrossing stories plunge into the lives of characters grappling with their experiences as Palestinian immigrants to Canada. A doctor teaches his girlfriend about his country, only for her to fall into a consuming obsession with the Middle East conflict. A math professor risks his family’s destruction by slandering the king of a despotic, oil-rich country. A university student invents an imaginary girlfriend to fit in with his callous, womanizing roommates. A lawyer takes on the impossible mission of becoming a body smuggler. A lonely widower travels to Russia in search of a movie starlet he met in his youth in historical Jaffa. A refugee who escaped violent circumstances rebels against the kindness of his sponsor. These taut and compelling stories engage the immigrant experience and reflect the Palestinian diaspora with grace and insight.\u003c\/p\u003e","EAN":"9781487010874","Height":"7","HeightCode":"in","Imprint":"Astoria","MetaKeywords":"social justice;family drama;arabic;citizenship;peace","NumberOfPages":"256","OtherText_Accolades_0":"\u003cp\u003eIn\u003cem\u003e Her First Palestinian\u003c\/em\u003e Saeed Teebi brilliantly and skillfully evokes the Palestinian diaspora experience, weaving stories of displacement, longing, and loss. His characters, drawn with great empathy and insight, are immigrants and refugees, misfits and outsiders, striving to fit in a complex, modern world while carrying the burden of history. Intelligent, original, and bursting with vitality, \u003cem\u003eHer First Palestinian\u003c\/em\u003e is an assured and highly accomplished debut that will stay with you long after you finish reading.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_0_Auth":"Ayelet Tsabari, author of The Art of Leaving","OtherText_Accolades_1":"\u003cp\u003eSaeed Teebi is a patient storyteller. He weaves his stories through glimpses of heritage, snippets of immigration, and depth of understanding. In\u003cem\u003e Her First Palestinian\u003c\/em\u003e, Teebi introduces us to complex and endearing characters. They all ring so true; they feel like half siblings or dear cousins. They are never loud or invasive. They are inviting and warm. Almost friendly as they tell you of themselves, their history, and the personal and societal roads they have to take. However, their wound is always internal, hidden under their agency, prosperity, and the most basic human need of them all: belonging.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_1_Auth":"Danny Ramadan, author of The Foghorn Echoes","OtherText_Accolades_2":"\u003cp\u003eA gorgeous debut collection of short stories so complex and rich they make me think that Saeed Teebi has been writing for many years. \u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_2_Auth":"Hasan Namir, author of God in Pink","OtherText_Accolades_3":"\u003cp\u003eThis beautiful collection not only brings to light the varied and sometimes fraught experiences of diasporic Palestinians but does so with masterful storytelling. These stories are rich and deep, with elegant, tragic, or funny twists that will stay in my mind for a long time.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_3_Auth":"Farzana Doctor, author of Seven","OtherText_Accolades_4":"\u003cp\u003eSaeed Teebi's \u003cem\u003eHer First Palestinian\u003c\/em\u003e is an exciting contribution to contemporary Palestinian diaspora literature. His characters grapple with overzealous allies, privilege, and polite discrimination, as well as forging new identities without quite managing to shed inherited ones. With sharp wit and humour, Teebi delivers a range of stories that are pleasingly new as they reverberate familiar themes of loss and triumph. \u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_4_Auth":"Sahar Mustafah, author of The Beauty of Your Face","OtherText_Accolades_5":"\u003cp\u003eSaeed Teebi writes with Chekhovian intentionality and Nabokovian rumination. These are stories about modesty or vanity, kindness or treachery, timidity or wit. In the author’s intelligent grasp we find a heartbreaking tenacity for connection to the here and now and to the land between the river and the sea.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_5_Auth":"Nyla Matuk, author of Stranger","OtherText_Accolades_6":"\u003cp\u003eDispatches from the state of exile, these stories are filled with delightful, devastating turns as Teebi explores the endless fracturing of displacement.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_6_Auth":"Rebecca Sacks, author of City of a Thousand Gates","OtherText_Accolades_7":"\u003cp\u003eSaeed Teebi’s \u003cem \u003eHer First Palestinian\u003c\/em\u003e is a powerful and propulsive debut collection of stories that dramatizes the experiences of the Palestinian diaspora. Compelling and complex characters displaced and removed from their historical homeland negotiate feelings of loss, estrangement, and complicity in Canada. Skillfully written with penetrating insight into the characters’ fractured identities, this book reveals a talented new Canadian voice.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_7_Auth":"Jury Citation, Danuta Gleed Literary Award","OtherText_Back_cover_copy_0":"\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe author's short story “Her First Palestinian” was shortlisted for the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis collection is a much-needed contribution documenting Palestinian issues and culture in the North American diaspora.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe author wrote these stories in one year during the COVID pandemic.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","OtherText_Review_0":"\u003cp\u003eSometimes a writer comes along whose stories are not only complex and full and exquisitely written, but whose vision and political voice feels necessary. In \u003cem\u003eHer First Palestinian\u003c\/em\u003e, Saeed Teebi coaxes the reader in a certain direction, and then flips the narrative so that now we are complicit, and we see our own guilt in the great divide that exists between the privileged and the stranger. Teebi does this with subtle humour and a wry tone. He does not preach, yet his writing expresses a certain fervour that is essential. He is a vital voice.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_0_Src":"Jury Citation, Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize","OtherText_Review_1":"\u003cp\u003eTeebi perfectly captures intergenerational and intercultural tension in stories as brilliant and cutting as finely hewn diamonds.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_10":"\u003cp\u003eSaeed Teebi brilliantly and humorously examines what it means to be a diasporic subject in his debut short story collection, \u003cem \u003eHer First Palestinian\u003c\/em\u003e … The collection is a refreshing contribution to the corpus of Palestinian diasporic literature, offering stories not centred around the grief of displacement and generational loss but ones that cunningly and wittingly interrogate migrant life in Canada.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_10_Src":"Event Magazine","OtherText_Review_1_Src":"Booklist","OtherText_Review_2":"\u003cp\u003eDryly witty and cynical ... Teebi’s prose is crisp and calmly civilized.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_2_Src":"Winnipeg Free Press","OtherText_Review_3":"\u003cp\u003eIf humanising Palestinians without purposefully tugging on heartstrings is what Teebi set out to do, he has accomplished his goal with aplomb. His stories — original, intelligent and finely nuanced — present characters who, although vastly different, are united in a uniquely Palestinian form of loneliness, one that stems from feeling out of place in a world that sees them as a nuisance.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_3_Src":"The National News","OtherText_Review_4":"\u003cp\u003eEach story in Teebi’s collection crackles with wit, intensity and elegance … A probing and absolutely unforgettable book. \u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_4_Src":"The Miramichi Reader","OtherText_Review_5":"\u003cp\u003eA deeply moving collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_5_Src":"Shelf Awareness","OtherText_Review_6":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem \u003eHer First Palestinian\u003c\/em\u003e is a layered, fully imagined work of fiction: probing, sure of itself, astounded by life’s cruelties and surprising joys and by its ironies large and small.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_6_Src":"Literary Review of Canada","OtherText_Review_7":"\u003cp\u003eWith intriguing plot-lines, nuanced characters and stunning prose … \u003cem\u003eHer First Palestinian \u003c\/em\u003eis an invitation to read the room and engage critically as conversations about Palestine, familial and romantic relationships, and moral conflicts permeate the walls.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_7_Src":"Maisonneuve","OtherText_Review_8":"\u003cp\u003eCutting against this grain, Teebi’s storytelling brings to life the unique experiences of Palestinians, powerfully highlighting their humanity, personhood and agency, as well as their colonial dispossession. … \u003cem \u003eHer First Palestinian\u003c\/em\u003e offers a richer understanding of the world through Palestinian eyes and inspires a greater appreciation of the diverse people who now reside in Canada.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_8_Src":"Montreal Serai","OtherText_Review_9":"\u003cp\u003e[Teebi’s] prose, wit and humour guide the reader on a journey through nine unusual takes on life within the Palestinian diaspora, as well as providing glimpses into the family lives and rich culture of its members.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_9_Src":"Oakville News","OtherText_ShortDescription_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eElegant, surprising stories about Palestinian immigrants in Canada navigating their identities in circumstances that push them to the emotional brink.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e","PrizeCodeText_0":"Short-listed","PrizeCodeText_1":"Nominated","PrizeCodeText_2":"Short-listed","PrizeCodeText_3":"Runner-up","PrizeCode_0":"04","PrizeCode_1":"07","PrizeCode_2":"04","PrizeCode_3":"02","PrizeName_0":"Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize","PrizeName_1":"Forest of Reading Evergreen Award","PrizeName_2":"Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Award","PrizeName_3":"Writers' Union of Canada Danuta Gleed Literary Award","PrizeYear_0":"2022","PrizeYear_1":"2023","PrizeYear_2":"2023","PrizeYear_3":"2022","ProductFormDescription":"trade paperback","PublicationDate":"2022-08-02","Publisher":"House of Anansi Press Inc","ShortDescription":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eElegant, surprising stories about Palestinian immigrants in Canada navigating their identities in circumstances that push them to the emotional brink.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e","Width":"5.5","WidthCode":"in"}

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Her First Palestinian

Elegant, surprising stories about Palestinian immigrants in Canada navigating their identities in circumstances that push them to the emotional brink.

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Quick View {"id":7130422345787,"title":"The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society","handle":"the-syrian-ladies-benevolent-society","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCBC, Best Canadian Fiction of 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith imaginative aplomb and abiding passion, \u003cem\u003eThe Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society\u003c\/em\u003e masterfully traces the deep roots of the Arab immigrant experience. These unforgettable interlocking stories follow an Arab family as they flee the Middle East in the nineteenth century, settle in Montreal in the twentieth, and face the collision between tradition and modernity in the twenty-first. This family includes trailblazing Lebanese freedom fighters, undercover operatives in World War II, and brave Syrian refugees trying to find their place in Canadian society.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe line of daring women culminates in Azurée, a young Arab woman living in the echoes of her ancestors' voices.\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2023-05-08T16:56:27-04:00","created_at":"2023-05-08T16:26:05-04:00","vendor":"House of Anansi Press Inc","type":"","tags":["Adult BIPOC Voices","Adult Short Stories","Astoria","By (author) Estima Christine","Feminist Reads","Literary Fiction","pub date: 2023-11-14"],"price":1899,"price_min":1899,"price_max":2299,"available":true,"price_varies":true,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":41234823446587,"title":"trade paperback","option1":"trade paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781487012335","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society - trade paperback","public_title":"trade paperback","options":["trade paperback"],"price":2299,"weight":200,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781487012335","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":41234824626235,"title":"epub","option1":"epub","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781487012342","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society - epub","public_title":"epub","options":["epub"],"price":1899,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":null,"barcode":"9781487012342","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/BNCImageAPI_b08413ea-f8e7-43a0-9f06-e7d0ac1c65f9.jpg?v=1736550451"],"featured_image":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/BNCImageAPI_b08413ea-f8e7-43a0-9f06-e7d0ac1c65f9.jpg?v=1736550451","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":24981740781627,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.786,"height":2100,"width":1650,"src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/BNCImageAPI_b08413ea-f8e7-43a0-9f06-e7d0ac1c65f9.jpg?v=1736550451"},"aspect_ratio":0.786,"height":2100,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/BNCImageAPI_b08413ea-f8e7-43a0-9f06-e7d0ac1c65f9.jpg?v=1736550451","width":1650}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCBC, Best Canadian Fiction of 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith imaginative aplomb and abiding passion, \u003cem\u003eThe Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society\u003c\/em\u003e masterfully traces the deep roots of the Arab immigrant experience. These unforgettable interlocking stories follow an Arab family as they flee the Middle East in the nineteenth century, settle in Montreal in the twentieth, and face the collision between tradition and modernity in the twenty-first. This family includes trailblazing Lebanese freedom fighters, undercover operatives in World War II, and brave Syrian refugees trying to find their place in Canadian society.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe line of daring women culminates in Azurée, a young Arab woman living in the echoes of her ancestors' voices.\u003c\/p\u003e"} {"AlsoRecommendedISBN_0":"9781487006020","AlsoRecommendedISBN_1":"9781487010874","AlsoRecommendedISBN_2":"9781487011383","BASICMainSubject":"FIC044000","BASICMainSubjectLiteral":"FICTION\/Women","BiographicalNote":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCHRISTINE ESTIMA\u003c\/strong\u003e is an Arab woman of mixed ethnicity (Lebanese, Syrian, and Portuguese) and the author of the short story collection \u003cem\u003eThe Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society\u003c\/em\u003e. She has written for the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Walrus\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eVICE\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eGlobe and Mail\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eChatelaine\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMaisonneuve\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eToronto Star\u003c\/em\u003e, and the CBC. Her story “Your Hands Are Blessed” was included in Best Canadian Stories 2023. She was shortlisted for the 2018 Allan Slaight Prize for Journalism and a finalist for the 2023 Lee Smith Novel Prize. Christine has a master’s degree from York University and lives in Toronto.\u003c\/p\u003e","BISACSubjectLiteral_0":"FICTION \/ Women","BISACSubjectLiteral_1":"FICTION \/ Short Stories (single author)","BISACSubjectLiteral_2":"FICTION \/ World Literature \/ Middle East \/ General","BISACSubject_0":"FIC044000","BISACSubject_1":"FIC029000","BISACSubject_2":"FIC111000","ContributorBio_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCHRISTINE ESTIMA\u003c\/strong\u003e is an Arab woman of mixed ethnicity (Lebanese, Syrian, and Portuguese) and the author of the short story collection \u003cem\u003eThe Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society\u003c\/em\u003e. She has written for the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Walrus\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eVICE\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eGlobe and Mail\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eChatelaine\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMaisonneuve\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eToronto Star\u003c\/em\u003e, and the CBC. Her story “Your Hands Are Blessed” was included in Best Canadian Stories 2023. She was shortlisted for the 2018 Allan Slaight Prize for Journalism and a finalist for the 2023 Lee Smith Novel Prize. Christine has a master’s degree from York University and lives in Toronto.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","ContributorRole_0":"By (author)","Contributor_0":"Estima, Christine (CA)","Description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCBC, Best Canadian Fiction of 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith imaginative aplomb and abiding passion, \u003cem\u003eThe Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society\u003c\/em\u003e masterfully traces the deep roots of the Arab immigrant experience. These unforgettable interlocking stories follow an Arab family as they flee the Middle East in the nineteenth century, settle in Montreal in the twentieth, and face the collision between tradition and modernity in the twenty-first. This family includes trailblazing Lebanese freedom fighters, undercover operatives in World War II, and brave Syrian refugees trying to find their place in Canadian society.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe line of daring women culminates in Azurée, a young Arab woman living in the echoes of her ancestors' voices.\u003c\/p\u003e","EAN":"9781487012342","excerpt_0":"https:\/\/biblioshare.org\/BNCservices\/BNCServices.asmx\/Samples?token=fcf85c1c1b298e99\u0026amp;ean=9781487012342\u0026amp;SAN=\u0026amp;Perspective=excerpt\u0026amp;FileNumber=0","Height":"7","HeightCode":"in","Imprint":"Astoria","MetaKeywords":"coming of age;historical fiction;middle east;melting pot;damascus;trauma narratives;syrian diaspora;chrysalis;anuja varghese;canadian literature;short stories","NumberOfPages":"208","OtherText_Accolades_0":"\u003cp\u003e\"Vivid and arresting from the very first line, this accomplished debut will leave an indelible imprint on your heart and mind with its powerful prose and compassionate storytelling. This collection weaves women together through the fabric of time and through their bravery, humanity, and hope even in the face of atrocities and defeat. Compulsively readable and intricately wrought, \u003cem\u003eThe Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society\u003c\/em\u003e is a must-read from a writer to watch.\" — \u003cstrong\u003eMarissa Stapley, New York Times bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eLucky\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_0_Auth":"Marissa Stapley, New York Times bestselling author of Lucky","OtherText_Accolades_1":"\u003cp\u003e\"Christine Estima’s debut is startling and heartrending, generous and vivid. It’s easy to fall in love with Christine’s insistence on compassion for women who are afforded little of it. With extraordinary prose and boundless empathy, \u003cem\u003eThe Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society\u003c\/em\u003e asks us to consider if we are inevitable products of our family history. No matter what answer you land on, this book will transform you.\" — \u003cstrong\u003eElamin Abdelmahmoud, author of \u003cem\u003eSon of Elsewhere\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_1_Auth":"Natalie Zina Walschots, author of Hench","OtherText_Accolades_2":"\u003cp\u003e\"In \u003cem\u003eThe Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society\u003c\/em\u003e, the past is very much a living character that shapes and informs the present moment. Christine Estima has penned a refreshingly vibrant and multicultural portrait of Montreal that braids together different branches of the historical record with precise prose and a sharp eye for human complexity.\" — \u003cstrong\u003eDimitri Nasrallah, author of \u003cem\u003eHotline\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_2_Auth":"Elamin Abdelmahmoud, author of Son of Elsewhere","OtherText_Accolades_3":"\u003cp\u003e\"Gorgeous and gutting, \u003cem\u003eThe Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society\u003c\/em\u003e asks (screams, whispers): What makes us? Are we our pasts, all our histories and families and generational traumas stacked on top of each other like a piece of additive sculpture? Or are we our present, our choices, remaking ourselves each day in a continual act of becoming? Instead of answering with either\/or, this book says (screams, whispers), over and over again, \u003cem\u003eyes\u003c\/em\u003e.\" — \u003cstrong\u003eNatalie Zina Walschots, author of \u003cem\u003eHench\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_3_Auth":"Dimitri Nasrallah, author of Hotline","OtherText_Back_cover_copy_0":"\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eEstima was inspired to write this collection about Arab immigrants in Canada after Don Cherry made racist remarks in 2019 about “you people” not wearing a poppy for Remembrance Day. She tweeted about her grandfather who fought for Canada in World War II and went viral and spawned a feature essay entitled “Living Legacy” in \u003cem\u003eMaisonneuve Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe stories draw from the deep roots of the author’s Lebanese\/Syrian family in Canada. Her great-grandfather founded the first Syrian Orthodox church in Canada and the first Arabic-language newspaper in Canada, \u003cem\u003eAsh-Shehab\u003c\/em\u003e (the brilliant star). His son Victor was one of the few Arabs in the Canadian army during WWII, most notably in the Battle of Ortona. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSimilar to Jack Wang’s \u003cem\u003eWe Two Alone\u003c\/em\u003e, this collection includes stories that explore historical and contemporary fiction genres and themes, illuminating Arab women’s early-twentieth-century struggles with traditional roles to contemporary issues of sex, gender, and race.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","OtherText_Long_description_1":"\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eEstima was inspired to write this collection about Arab immigrants in Canada after Don Cherry made racist remarks in 2019 about “you people” not wearing a poppy for Remembrance Day. She tweeted about her grandfather who fought for Canada in World War II and went viral and spawned a feature essay entitled “Living Legacy” in \u003cem\u003eMaisonneuve Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe stories draw from the deep roots of the author’s Lebanese\/Syrian family in Canada. Her great-grandfather founded the first Syrian Orthodox church in Canada and the first Arabic-language newspaper in Canada, \u003cem\u003eAsh-Shehab\u003c\/em\u003e (the brilliant star). His son Victor was one of the few Arabs in the Canadian army during WWII, most notably in the Battle of Ortona. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSimilar to Jack Wang’s \u003cem\u003eWe Two Alone\u003c\/em\u003e, this collection includes stories that explore historical and contemporary fiction genres and themes, illuminating Arab women’s early-twentieth-century struggles with traditional roles to contemporary issues of sex, gender, and race.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","OtherText_Review_0":"\u003cp\u003e\"Across the varying settings and time periods, what remains consistent is Estima’s detailed and evocative prose as she weaves a haunting tale of how the pain of loss—whether of our home, our loved ones or our sense of self—reverberates across generations.\" — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eMaisonneuve\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_0_Src":"New Canadian Media","OtherText_Review_1":"\u003cp\u003e\"In writing across cultures, borders, and centuries, Estima credits her ancestors with direct inspiration: ‘I hear your voices in my veins; you will not be forgotten.’ Neither will Estima's enthralling writing.\" — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_1_Src":"The Miramichi Reader","OtherText_Review_2":"\u003cp\u003e\"Years in the making, [\u003cem\u003eThe Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society]\u003c\/em\u003e reveals a writer who is sure of her subject and craft … Precise and sensitive.\" — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eLiterary Review of Canada\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_2_Src":"That Shakespearean Rag","OtherText_Review_3":"\u003cp\u003e\"Memorable, vivid, and subversive at times, the stories bring to life a type of female experience seldom seen in immigrant narratives.\" — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew Canadian Media\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_3_Src":"Shelf Awareness","OtherText_Review_4":"\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eThe Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society\u003c\/em\u003e is a brisk and exciting debut from a writer we can’t wait to hear from again.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eApple Books \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_4_Src":"Maisonneuve","OtherText_Review_5":"\u003cp\u003e\"A genuine and compelling narrative … \u003cem\u003eThe Syrian Ladies’ Benevolent Society\u003c\/em\u003e is smart, elegant, and a necessary contribution to the overall literature challenging so many suffocating cultural stereotypes in Canadian society.\" — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Miramichi Reader\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_5_Src":"Literary Review of Canada","OtherText_Review_6":"\u003cp\u003e\"The material in these stories often does more than just flirt with dark subject matter, but the author’s empathy and sharp understanding of human frailty nevertheless injects \u003cem\u003eThe Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society \u003c\/em\u003ewith the vibrancy of life. The book opens with a reference to fire, and Estima is a valiant recorder of the heat that burns us, inside and out.\" — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThat Shakespearean Rag\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_ShortDescription_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong \u003eIndelible linked stories centred around Azurée, a young Arab woman living in the echoes of her ancestor’s voices.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","PrizeCodeText_0":"Commended","PrizeCode_0":"03","PrizeName_0":"CBC 2023 Best Canadian Fiction","PrizeYear_0":"2023","ProductFormDescription":"epub","PublicationDate":"2023-11-14","Publisher":"House of Anansi Press Inc","ShortDescription":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong \u003eIndelible linked stories centred around Azurée, a young Arab woman living in the echoes of her ancestor’s voices.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","Width":"5.5","WidthCode":"in"}

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The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society

Indelible linked stories centred around Azurée, a young Arab woman living in the echoes of her ancestor’s voices.

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Quick View {"id":6811232403515,"title":"Glorious Frazzled Beings","handle":"glorious-frazzled-beings","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHome is where we love, suffer, and learn. Some homes we chose, others are inflicted upon us, and still others are bodies we are born into. In this astounding collection of stories, human and more-than-human worlds come together in places we call home.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFour sisters and their mother explore their fears while teeny ghost people dress up in fragments of their children’s clothes. A somewhat-ghost tends the family garden. Deep in the mountains, a shapeshifting mother must sift through her ancestors’ gifts and the complexities of love when one boy is born with a beautiful set of fox ears and another is not. In the wake of her elderly mother’s tragic death, a daughter tries to make sense of the online dating profile she left behind. And a man named Pooka finds new ways to weave new stories into his abode, in spite of his inherited suffering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA startling and beguiling story collection, \u003cem\u003eGlorious Frazzled Beings\u003c\/em\u003e is a love song to the homes we make, keep, and break.\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2022-03-21T12:08:16-04:00","created_at":"2022-03-21T09:47:44-04:00","vendor":"House of Anansi Press Inc","type":"","tags":["Adult Short Stories","Anansi Audio","By (author) Lalonde Angélique","pub date:","Read by Dion-Richard Kate"],"price":1899,"price_min":1899,"price_max":3499,"available":true,"price_varies":true,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":40190665490491,"title":"trade paperback","option1":"trade paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781487009571","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Glorious Frazzled Beings - trade paperback","public_title":"trade paperback","options":["trade paperback"],"price":2299,"weight":299,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781487009571","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":40190665785403,"title":"epub","option1":"epub","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781487009588","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Glorious Frazzled Beings - epub","public_title":"epub","options":["epub"],"price":1899,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":null,"barcode":"9781487009588","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":40190665883707,"title":"Digital Audio, MP3","option1":"Digital Audio, MP3","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781487011406","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Glorious Frazzled Beings - Digital Audio, MP3","public_title":"Digital Audio, MP3","options":["Digital Audio, MP3"],"price":3499,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":null,"barcode":"9781487011406","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":40190666014779,"title":"Lossless Format Audio, WAV","option1":"Lossless Format Audio, WAV","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781487011413","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Glorious Frazzled Beings - Lossless Format Audio, WAV","public_title":"Lossless Format Audio, WAV","options":["Lossless Format Audio, WAV"],"price":3499,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":null,"barcode":"9781487011413","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/BNCImageAPI_0f46223d-02f3-46db-a124-08550bdad476.jpg?v=1652627053"],"featured_image":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/BNCImageAPI_0f46223d-02f3-46db-a124-08550bdad476.jpg?v=1652627053","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":22065792188475,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.793,"height":2175,"width":1725,"src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/BNCImageAPI_0f46223d-02f3-46db-a124-08550bdad476.jpg?v=1652627053"},"aspect_ratio":0.793,"height":2175,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/BNCImageAPI_0f46223d-02f3-46db-a124-08550bdad476.jpg?v=1652627053","width":1725}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHome is where we love, suffer, and learn. Some homes we chose, others are inflicted upon us, and still others are bodies we are born into. In this astounding collection of stories, human and more-than-human worlds come together in places we call home.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFour sisters and their mother explore their fears while teeny ghost people dress up in fragments of their children’s clothes. A somewhat-ghost tends the family garden. Deep in the mountains, a shapeshifting mother must sift through her ancestors’ gifts and the complexities of love when one boy is born with a beautiful set of fox ears and another is not. In the wake of her elderly mother’s tragic death, a daughter tries to make sense of the online dating profile she left behind. And a man named Pooka finds new ways to weave new stories into his abode, in spite of his inherited suffering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA startling and beguiling story collection, \u003cem\u003eGlorious Frazzled Beings\u003c\/em\u003e is a love song to the homes we make, keep, and break.\u003c\/p\u003e"} {"AlsoRecommendedISBN_0":"9781487001711","AlsoRecommendedISBN_1":"9781487003661","AlsoRecommendedISBN_2":"9781487004897","BASICMainSubject":"FIC061000","BASICMainSubjectLiteral":"FICTION\\\/Magical Realism","BiographicalNote":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eANGÉLIQUE LALONDE\u003c\\\/strong\u003e was the recipient of the 2019 Writers' Trust Journey Prize, has been nominated for a National Magazine Award, and was awarded an Emerging Writer’s Intensive at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Her work has been published in numerous journals and magazines. Lalonde is the second-eldest of four daughters. She dwells on Gitxsan Territory in Northern British Columbia with her partner, two small children, and many non-human beings. She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Victoria.\u003c\\\/p\u003e","BISACSubjectLiteral_0":"FICTION \\\/ Magical Realism","BISACSubjectLiteral_1":"FICTION \\\/ Short Stories (single author)","BISACSubjectLiteral_2":"FICTION \\\/ Small Town \u0026amp; Rural","BISACSubjectLiteral_3":"FICTION \\\/ Literary","BISACSubjectLiteral_4":"FICTION \\\/ Family Life \\\/ General","BISACSubject_0":"FIC061000","BISACSubject_1":"FIC029000","BISACSubject_2":"FIC066000","BISACSubject_3":"FIC019000","BISACSubject_4":"FIC045000","ContributorBio_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eANGÉLIQUE LALONDE\u003c\/strong\u003e was the recipient of the 2019 Writers' Trust Journey Prize, has been nominated for a National Magazine Award, and was awarded an Emerging Writer’s Intensive at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Her work has been published in numerous journals and magazines. Lalonde is the second-eldest of four daughters. She dwells on Gitxsan Territory in Northern British Columbia with her partner, two small children, and many non-human beings. She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Victoria.\u003c\/p\u003e","ContributorRole_0":"By (author)","Contributor_0":"Lalonde, Angélique (CA)","Description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHome is where we love, suffer, and learn. Some homes we chose, others are inflicted upon us, and still others are bodies we are born into. In this astounding collection of stories, human and more-than-human worlds come together in places we call home.\u003c\\\/strong\u003e\u003c\\\/p\u003e\\n\u003cp\u003eFour sisters and their mother explore their fears while teeny ghost people dress up in fragments of their children’s clothes. A somewhat-ghost tends the family garden. Deep in the mountains, a shapeshifting mother must sift through her ancestors’ gifts and the complexities of love when one boy is born with a beautiful set of fox ears and another is not. In the wake of her elderly mother’s tragic death, a daughter tries to make sense of the online dating profile she left behind. And a man named Pooka finds new ways to weave new stories into his abode, in spite of his inherited suffering.\u003c\\\/p\u003e\\n\u003cp\u003eA startling and beguiling story collection, \u003cem\u003eGlorious Frazzled Beings\u003c\\\/em\u003e is a love song to the homes we make, keep, and break.\u003c\\\/p\u003e","EAN":"9781487011413","excerpt_0":"https:\/\/biblioshare.org\/BNCservices\/BNCServices.asmx\/Samples?token=fcf85c1c1b298e99\u0026amp;ean=9781487009571\u0026amp;SAN=\u0026amp;Perspective=excerpt\u0026amp;FileNumber=0","Height":"7","HeightCode":"in","Imprint":"Anansi Audio","MetaKeywords":"short stories;magical realism;family relationships;nature;collage;design;art;quirky reads;canadian literature;creative writing","NumberOfPages":"304","OtherText_Accolades_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem \u003eGlorious Frazzled Beings\u003c\\\/em\u003e is a prophetic rhapsody of a book. Lalonde masterfully threads everyday magic through these stories, each a virtuoso exploration of what it means to be at home in the world we know, or the brave new world we are just discovering.\u003c\\\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_0_Auth":"Christy Ann Conlin, author of The Speed of Mercy","OtherText_Accolades_1":"\u003cp\u003eSly, mythical, wise, \u003cem \u003eGlorious Frazzled Beings \u003c\\\/em\u003eis an extraordinary work of non-conformist daring: a boy is born with fox ears, an abandoned pregnancy test is encountered by random women in mall bathroom, an overwhelmed mother makes clothing for tiny ghosts. With sharp visionary instinct, Lalonde not only confronts both the magic and cruelty of living, and the border between worlds, mythical and visceral — she lights it on fire. Brilliantly alive, full of devastation and wonder, reading these stories will change you.\u003c\\\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_1_Auth":"Heidi Sopinka, author of The Dictionary of Animal Languages","OtherText_Accolades_2":"\u003cp\u003eI love this book! A magical debut. Angélique Lalonde is one of those writers who is already absolutely brilliant. I can’t believe she is just warming up. These are stories to curl around with a big mug of good tea, the kind of stories that seem lighthearted and whimsical but are actually doing so much heavy lifting. You will laugh out loud. You will find these lines embedded in your dreams, think of them while you are doing mundane chores, wonder at their sneaky magic — How did she do that? What is that spell? Sometimes you will think you have it figured out but ultimately, it will always elude you.\u003c\\\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_2_Auth":"Katherena Vermette, author of The Break and The Strangers","OtherText_Accolades_3":"\u003cp\u003eFrom a garden in dawn’s mist to the indignities of the dentist’s chair, Lalonde's eclectic style penetrates the senses. With tremendous imagination, compassion, and fierce prose, these stories will walk you home.\u003cem \u003e\u003cbr\u003e\\n\u003c\\\/em\u003e\u003c\\\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_3_Auth":"Carleigh Baker, author of Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize finalist Bad Endings","OtherText_Accolades_4":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem \u003eGlorious Frazzled Beings\u003c\\\/em\u003e is storytelling magic — a haunting dream of a book, by turns strange and powerfully lucid. I’m captivated by the relations so boldly evoked. I’m moved by the intimacies, the wicked humour, the glorious dare of play. Angélique Lalonde is an original talent who is channeling forces far beyond us in this urgent debut.\u003c\\\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_4_Auth":"David Chariandy, author of Brother","OtherText_Back_cover_copy_0":"\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eThe stories portray the realities of poverty, addiction, and discrimination. \u003c\\\/li\u003e\\n\u003cli\u003eThe author has won and been nominated for many writing awards.\u003c\\\/li\u003e\\n\u003cli\u003eLalonde is a bilingual author (French\\\/English) who holds a Ph.D. in anthropology and is also a community organizer and visual artist.\u003c\\\/li\u003e\\n\u003cli\u003eAstoria is the premiere imprint for Canadian short fiction.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\\n\u003c\\\/strong\u003e\u003c\\\/li\u003e\\n\u003c\\\/ul\u003e","OtherText_ShortDescription_0":"\u003cp\u003eIn this astounding collection of stories, human and more-than-human worlds come together in places we call home.\u003c\\\/p\u003e","PrizeCodeText_0":"Short-listed","PrizeCode_0":"04","PrizeName_0":"Scotiabank Giller Prize","PrizeYear_0":"2021","ProductFormDescription":"Lossless Format Audio, WAV","PublicationDate":"2021-09-07","Publisher":"House of Anansi Press Inc","ShortDescription":"\u003cp\u003eIn this astounding collection of stories, human and more-than-human worlds come together in places we call home.\u003c\\\/p\u003e","Width":"5.5","WidthCode":"in"}

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Glorious Frazzled Beings

In this astounding collection of stories, human and more-than-human worlds come together in places we call home.

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Cover: The Private Apartments, stories, by Idman Nur Omar. An illustrated orange brick high-rise apartment building with multicoloured windows is set against a blue sky. There are six white stars surrounding the building.

Quick View {"id":6982521520187,"title":"The Private Apartments","handle":"the-private-apartments","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinalist, 2023 Writers' Union of Canada Danuta Gleed Literary Award\u003cbr\u003e\nFinalist, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2024 Alberta Literary Awards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrittle Paper 100 Notable African Books of 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMoving, insightful, linked stories about the determination of Somali immigrants — despite duty, discrimination, and an ever-dissolving link to a war-torn homeland.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the insular rooms of \u003cem\u003eThe Private Apartments\u003c\/em\u003e, a cleaning lady marries her employer’s nephew and then abandons him, a depressed young mother finds unlikely support in her community housing complex, a new bride attends weddings to escape her abusive marriage, and a failed nurse is sent to relatives in Dubai after a nervous breakdown. These captivating and compassionate stories eloquently showcase the intricate linkages of human experience and the ways in which Somalis, even as a diaspora, are indelibly connected.\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2022-09-12T17:21:16-04:00","created_at":"2022-09-12T16:18:13-04:00","vendor":"House of Anansi Press Inc","type":"","tags":["Adult BIPOC Voices","Adult Short Stories","Astoria","By (author) Omar Idman Nur","pub date: 2023-05-02"],"price":1899,"price_min":1899,"price_max":2299,"available":true,"price_varies":true,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":40777413230651,"title":"trade paperback","option1":"trade paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781487011383","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"The Private Apartments - trade paperback","public_title":"trade paperback","options":["trade paperback"],"price":2299,"weight":204,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781487011383","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":40777415032891,"title":"epub","option1":"epub","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781487011390","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"The Private Apartments - epub","public_title":"epub","options":["epub"],"price":1899,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":null,"barcode":"9781487011390","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/BNCImageAPI_1200e035-05b5-4fc8-9ce3-bb45b47ef12f.jpg?v=1714095927"],"featured_image":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/BNCImageAPI_1200e035-05b5-4fc8-9ce3-bb45b47ef12f.jpg?v=1714095927","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":"Cover: The Private Apartments, stories, by Idman Nur Omar. An illustrated orange brick high-rise apartment building with multicoloured windows is set against a blue sky. There are six white stars surrounding the building.","id":24470152151099,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.786,"height":2100,"width":1650,"src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/BNCImageAPI_1200e035-05b5-4fc8-9ce3-bb45b47ef12f.jpg?v=1714095927"},"aspect_ratio":0.786,"height":2100,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/BNCImageAPI_1200e035-05b5-4fc8-9ce3-bb45b47ef12f.jpg?v=1714095927","width":1650}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinalist, 2023 Writers' Union of Canada Danuta Gleed Literary Award\u003cbr\u003e\nFinalist, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2024 Alberta Literary Awards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrittle Paper 100 Notable African Books of 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMoving, insightful, linked stories about the determination of Somali immigrants — despite duty, discrimination, and an ever-dissolving link to a war-torn homeland.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the insular rooms of \u003cem\u003eThe Private Apartments\u003c\/em\u003e, a cleaning lady marries her employer’s nephew and then abandons him, a depressed young mother finds unlikely support in her community housing complex, a new bride attends weddings to escape her abusive marriage, and a failed nurse is sent to relatives in Dubai after a nervous breakdown. These captivating and compassionate stories eloquently showcase the intricate linkages of human experience and the ways in which Somalis, even as a diaspora, are indelibly connected.\u003c\/p\u003e"} {"AlsoRecommendedISBN_0":"9781487005344","AlsoRecommendedISBN_1":"9781487006020","AlsoRecommendedISBN_2":"9781487007461","BASICMainSubject":"FIC019000","BASICMainSubjectLiteral":"FICTION\/Literary","BiographicalNote":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIDMAN NUR OMAR\u003c\/strong\u003e was born in Rome and immigrated to Canada in 1991. She has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Guelph and an MA in English Literature from Concordia University. She lives in Calgary, where she teaches at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in the Communication and Liberal Arts Studies Department.\u003c\/p\u003e","BISACSubjectLiteral_0":"FICTION \/ Literary","BISACSubjectLiteral_1":"FICTION \/ Short Stories (single author)","BISACSubjectLiteral_2":"FICTION \/ Cultural Heritage","BISACSubject_0":"FIC019000","BISACSubject_1":"FIC029000","BISACSubject_2":"FIC051000","ContributorBio_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIDMAN NUR OMAR\u003c\/strong\u003e was born in Rome and immigrated to Canada in 1991. She has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Guelph and an MA in English Literature from Concordia University. She lives in Calgary, where she teaches at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in the Communication and Liberal Arts Studies Department.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","ContributorRole_0":"By (author)","Contributor_0":"Omar, Idman Nur (CA)","Description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinalist, 2023 Writers' Union of Canada Danuta Gleed Literary Award\u003cbr\u003e\nFinalist, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong \u003e2024 Alberta Literary Awards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong \u003eBrittle Paper 100 Notable African Books of 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMoving, insightful, linked stories about the determination of Somali immigrants — despite duty, discrimination, and an ever-dissolving link to a war-torn homeland.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the insular rooms of \u003cem\u003eThe Private Apartments\u003c\/em\u003e, a cleaning lady marries her employer’s nephew and then abandons him, a depressed young mother finds unlikely support in her community housing complex, a new bride attends weddings to escape her abusive marriage, and a failed nurse is sent to relatives in Dubai after a nervous breakdown. These captivating and compassionate stories eloquently showcase the intricate linkages of human experience and the ways in which Somalis, even as a diaspora, are indelibly connected.\u003c\/p\u003e","EAN":"9781487011390","excerpt_0":"https:\/\/biblioshare.org\/BNCservices\/BNCServices.asmx\/Samples?token=fcf85c1c1b298e99\u0026amp;ean=9781487011390\u0026amp;SAN=\u0026amp;Perspective=excerpt\u0026amp;FileNumber=0","Height":"7","HeightCode":"in","Imprint":"Astoria","MetaKeywords":"strong female character;coming of age;full catstrophe;meira cook","NumberOfPages":"192","OtherText_Accolades_0":"\u003cp\u003eIdman Nur Omar’s stories have a prismatic and glittering brilliance. \u003cem \u003eThe Private Apartments \u003c\/em\u003espans the world, tracing the passageways that join one life to another in writing that is wise, clear-eyed, and bold. This astonishing collection heralds a major new talent.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_0_Auth":"Madeleine Thien, author of Do Not Say We Have Nothing","OtherText_Accolades_1":"\u003cp\u003eThe closely observed characters in these stories amount to a poignant work of short fiction that could also be called a novel. Idman Nur Omar’s light touch insightfully connects the start of the 1991 Somali Civil War with the forms of life that grow from uprootedness and struggle into lasting shape elsewhere. This work, spanning continents and two decades, reveals a writer of incisive narrative vulnerability and asks us to read her intimate graces as a storyteller with mature tenderness. The distinctive pleasures of \u003cem \u003eThe Private Apartments\u003c\/em\u003e’ stories are waiting. Why not come in?\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_1_Auth":"Canisia Lubrin, author of Code Noir","OtherText_Accolades_2":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Private Apartments\u003c\/em\u003e absorbed me from the very beginning. Idman Nur Omar is a skilled writer, whose sensitive and stirring depiction of the lives of Somali immigrants calls to mind Jhumpa Lahiri's \u003cem\u003eInterpreter of Maladies\u003c\/em\u003e. I cared about these characters. I felt curious about them, gutted for them. I kept reading as much for the crisp, graceful writing and complicated, human portraits as to see what would happen next.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_2_Auth":"Shashi Bhat, author of The Most Precious Substance on Earth","OtherText_Accolades_3":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Private Apartments\u003c\/em\u003e invites you into the secret lives of Somali women who dare to migrate towards safety, solitude, and sometimes joy. It suggests that even across oceans, behind closed doors, and in every corner of every room, someone, somewhere, is boldly (read: messily) giving life another shot. Idman Nur Omar is cool and delicate on a prose level and generous in her belief that your neighbour is actually your friend, your sibling, your cousin, and the person you come home to. There is almost nothing private about being this intimately connected. I mourn for these women; I feel their guilt and pleasures as much as I celebrate them, as they are, in many strange and uncomfortably daring ways, versions of myself.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_3_Auth":"Téa Mutonji, author of Shut Up You’re Pretty","OtherText_Accolades_4":"\u003cp\u003eIdman Nur Omar’s remarkable debut tells stories of Somalis in the diaspora as they navigate complicated relationships, loss, and displacement with determination and wit. Omar writes with sensitivity, insight, and quiet assurance. The voices in these stories are sharp, vulnerable, and, at times, brash. A delightful read!\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_4_Auth":"Djamila Ibrahim, author of Things Are Good Now","OtherText_Back_cover_copy_0":"\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eIn the vein of recent award-winning short fiction collections about immigrant diaspora experiences such as \u003cem\u003eHow To Pronounce Knife\u003c\/em\u003e by Souvankham Thammavongsa and \u003cem\u003eWe Two Alone\u003c\/em\u003e by Jack Wang, these stories revolve around immigrant characters, their families and children. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLike David Chariandy’s \u003cem\u003eBrother\u003c\/em\u003e and Catherine Hernandez’s \u003cem\u003eScarborough\u003c\/em\u003e, this is a book that feels authentically Toronto. It is the Toronto of immigrants, living in the low-income housing that is both a sanctuary and a disappointment, contending with violence that seems almost inevitable. Yet there is also joy, love, friendship, and community in this version of the city. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Private Apartments\u003c\/em\u003e, the unique yet related stories of many women are woven together. Characters reappear, grow and change, and are viewed by other characters through different lenses.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","OtherText_Long_description_1":"\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eIn the vein of recent award-winning short fiction collections about immigrant diaspora experiences such as \u003cem\u003eHow To Pronounce Knife\u003c\/em\u003e by Souvankham Thammavongsa and \u003cem\u003eWe Two Alone\u003c\/em\u003e by Jack Wang, these stories revolve around immigrant characters, their families and children. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLike David Chariandy’s \u003cem\u003eBrother\u003c\/em\u003e and Catherine Hernandez’s \u003cem\u003eScarborough\u003c\/em\u003e, this is a book that feels authentically Toronto. It is the Toronto of immigrants, living in the low-income housing that is both a sanctuary and a disappointment, contending with violence that seems almost inevitable. Yet there is also joy, love, friendship, and community in this version of the city. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Private Apartments\u003c\/em\u003e, the unique yet related stories of many women are woven together. Characters reappear, grow and change, and are viewed by other characters through different lenses.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","OtherText_Review_0":"\u003cp\u003e“Idman Nur Omar’s new subtle short story collection … begins in 1991 and features multi-layered stories of Somali women dispersed to Europe and Canada by [civil war]. … Fans of Elena Ferrante would do well to seek out this collection.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eMiramichi Reader\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_0_Src":"Miramichi Reader","OtherText_Review_1":"\u003cp\u003e“Much to both marvel at and puzzle over. … Idman Nur Omar presents a vibrant diasporic culture of resilient individuals whose significance isn’t premised on their interactions with those in their adoptive place, whether that’s Rome, London, Amsterdam, Dubai or Toronto.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWinnipeg Free Press\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_1_Src":"Winnipeg Free Press","OtherText_ShortDescription_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMoving linked stories about the determination of Somali immigrants — despite duty, discrimination, and an ever-dissolving link to a war-torn homeland.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","PrizeCodeText_0":"Short-listed","PrizeCodeText_1":"Commended","PrizeCodeText_2":"Short-listed","PrizeCode_0":"04","PrizeCode_1":"03","PrizeCode_2":"04","PrizeName_0":"Writers' Union of Canada Danuta Gleed Literary Award","PrizeName_1":"Brittle Paper 100 Notable African Books of 2023","PrizeName_2":"Alberta Literary Award","PrizeYear_0":"2023","PrizeYear_1":"2023","PrizeYear_2":"2024","ProductFormDescription":"epub","PublicationDate":"2023-05-02","Publisher":"House of Anansi Press Inc","ShortDescription":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMoving linked stories about the determination of Somali immigrants — despite duty, discrimination, and an ever-dissolving link to a war-torn homeland.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","Width":"5.5","WidthCode":"in"}

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The Private Apartments

Moving linked stories about the determination of Somali immigrants — despite duty, discrimination, and an ever-dissolving link to a war-torn homeland.

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Quick View {"id":6660407492667,"title":"No Stars in the Sky","handle":"no-stars-in-the-sky","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Profoundly moving and beautifully written . . . each story is its own universe that transports the reader through the characters’ joy and pain.” — Amy Stuart \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe nineteen stories in \u003cem\u003eNo Stars in the Sky\u003c\/em\u003e feature strong but damaged female characters in crisis. Tormented by personal conflicts and oppressive regimes that treat the female body like a trophy of war, the women in \u003cem\u003eNo Stars in the Sky\u003c\/em\u003e face life-altering circumstances that either shatter or make them stronger, albeit at a very high price. True to her Latin American roots, Bátiz shines a light on the crises that concern her most: the plight of migrant children along the Mexico–U.S. border, the tragedy of the disappeared in Mexico and Argentina, and the generalized racial and domestic violence that has turned life into a constant struggle for survival. With an unflinching hand, Bátiz explores the breadth of the human condition to expose silent tragedies too often ignored.\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2021-09-27T09:39:21-04:00","created_at":"2021-09-21T10:09:18-04:00","vendor":"House of Anansi Press Inc","type":"","tags":["Adult BIPOC Voices","Adult Short Stories","Astoria","By (author) Bátiz Martha","Feminist Reads","Literary Fiction","pub date: 2022-05-03"],"price":1899,"price_min":1899,"price_max":2299,"available":true,"price_varies":true,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":39645093101627,"title":"trade paperback","option1":"trade paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781487010027","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"No Stars in the Sky - trade paperback","public_title":"trade paperback","options":["trade paperback"],"price":2299,"weight":274,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781487010027","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":39645094477883,"title":"epub","option1":"epub","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781487010034","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"No Stars in the Sky - epub","public_title":"epub","options":["epub"],"price":1899,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":null,"barcode":"9781487010034","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/BNCImageAPI_85346c91-6140-45a6-9153-cb6a9c6429e8.jpg?v=1655628473"],"featured_image":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/BNCImageAPI_85346c91-6140-45a6-9153-cb6a9c6429e8.jpg?v=1655628473","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":22243508518971,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.786,"height":2100,"width":1650,"src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/BNCImageAPI_85346c91-6140-45a6-9153-cb6a9c6429e8.jpg?v=1655628473"},"aspect_ratio":0.786,"height":2100,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/BNCImageAPI_85346c91-6140-45a6-9153-cb6a9c6429e8.jpg?v=1655628473","width":1650}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Profoundly moving and beautifully written . . . each story is its own universe that transports the reader through the characters’ joy and pain.” — Amy Stuart \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe nineteen stories in \u003cem\u003eNo Stars in the Sky\u003c\/em\u003e feature strong but damaged female characters in crisis. Tormented by personal conflicts and oppressive regimes that treat the female body like a trophy of war, the women in \u003cem\u003eNo Stars in the Sky\u003c\/em\u003e face life-altering circumstances that either shatter or make them stronger, albeit at a very high price. True to her Latin American roots, Bátiz shines a light on the crises that concern her most: the plight of migrant children along the Mexico–U.S. border, the tragedy of the disappeared in Mexico and Argentina, and the generalized racial and domestic violence that has turned life into a constant struggle for survival. With an unflinching hand, Bátiz explores the breadth of the human condition to expose silent tragedies too often ignored.\u003c\/p\u003e"} {"AlsoRecommendedISBN_0":"9781487004897","AlsoRecommendedISBN_1":"9781487006020","AlsoRecommendedISBN_2":"9781487008284","BASICMainSubject":"FIC029000","BASICMainSubjectLiteral":"FICTION \/ Short Stories","BiographicalNote":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong \u003eMARTHA BÁTIZ\u003c\/strong\u003e is an award-winning writer, translator, and professor of Spanish language in literature. She is the author of four books, including the story collection \u003cem \u003ePlaza Requiem\u003c\/em\u003e, winner of an International Latino Book Award, and the novella \u003cem \u003eThe Wolf’s Mouth\u003c\/em\u003e, winner of the Casa de Teatro Prize. Born and raised in Mexico City, she lives in Toronto.\u003c\/p\u003e","BISACSubjectLiteral_0":"FICTION \/ Short Stories","BISACSubjectLiteral_1":"FICTION \/ Hispanic \u0026 Latino","BISACSubjectLiteral_2":"FICTION \/ Women","BISACSubject_0":"FIC029000","BISACSubject_1":"FIC056000","BISACSubject_2":"FIC044000","ContributorBio_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong \u003eMARTHA BÁTIZ\u003c\/strong\u003e is an award-winning writer, translator, and professor of Spanish language in literature. She is the author of four books, including the story collection \u003cem \u003ePlaza Requiem\u003c\/em\u003e, winner of an International Latino Book Award, and the novella \u003cem \u003eThe Wolf’s Mouth\u003c\/em\u003e, winner of the Casa de Teatro Prize. Born and raised in Mexico City, she lives in Toronto.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n","ContributorRole_0":"By (author)","Contributor_0":"Bátiz, Martha (CA)","Description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong \u003e“Profoundly moving and beautifully written . . . each story is its own universe that transports the reader through the characters’ joy and pain.” — Amy Stuart \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe nineteen stories in \u003cem \u003eNo Stars in the Sky\u003c\/em\u003e feature strong but damaged female characters in crisis. Tormented by personal conflicts and oppressive regimes that treat the female body like a trophy of war, the women in \u003cem \u003eNo Stars in the Sky\u003c\/em\u003e face life-altering circumstances that either shatter or make them stronger, albeit at a very high price. True to her Latin American roots, Bátiz shines a light on the crises that concern her most: the plight of migrant children along the Mexico–U.S. border, the tragedy of the disappeared in Mexico and Argentina, and the generalized racial and domestic violence that has turned life into a constant struggle for survival. With an unflinching hand, Bátiz explores the breadth of the human condition to expose silent tragedies too often ignored.\u003c\/p\u003e","EAN":"9781487010027","excerpt_0":"https:\/\/biblioshare.org\/BNCservices\/BNCServices.asmx\/Samples?token=fcf85c1c1b298e99\u0026amp;ean=9781487010027\u0026amp;SAN=\u0026amp;Perspective=excerpt\u0026amp;FileNumber=0","Height":"7","HeightCode":"in","Imprint":"Astoria","NumberOfPages":"300","OtherText_Accolades_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem \u003eNo Stars in the Sky\u003c\/em\u003e offers wonderful, haunting writing that burrows deep into the reader’s heart. In these stories, Latin American women scramble with courage and stamina to persevere in the face of violence, illegal incarceration, abandonment, migration, solitude, and ruptured relationships. Bátiz’s prose is raw, honest, and immediate. To appreciate its beauty, one has only to take in the opening sentence to the story ‘Uncle Ko’s One Thousand Lives’: ‘When no one expected his return anymore, when almost everyone believed he must be dead, he appeared out of nowhere at our door.’\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_0_Auth":"Lawrence Hill, author of The Book of Negroes, The Illegal, and Beatrice and Croc Harry","OtherText_Accolades_1":"\u003cp\u003eProfoundly moving and beautifully written, Martha Bátiz’s \u003cem \u003eNo Stars in the Sky\u003c\/em\u003e spans different countries and timelines but always circles back to keen observances of the human experience. With a writing style so gorgeous and spare, Bátiz has a remarkable capacity to draw out moments both significant and small, to find the deepest meaning in little snippets of time. Each story is its own universe that transports the reader through the characters’ joy and pain, turmoil and resilience, from the hills of inland Mexico to the streetcars of Toronto and beyond. A brilliant collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_1_Auth":"Amy Stuart, author of Still Mine, Still Water, and Still Here","OtherText_Accolades_2":"\u003cp\u003eThese are stories for the twenty-first century. Their geography is as vast as their violence. Bátiz has a powerful gift for empathy, entering the mind of a disappeared boy in Argentina, a fourteen-year-old girl exploited at the US\/ Mexico border, and female asylum seekers sharing their grief.  The power of these stories comes from the writer’s understanding of the politics of exploitation and her refusal to look away.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_2_Auth":"Rosemary Sullivan, author of Stalin's Daughter and The Betrayal of Anne Frank","OtherText_Accolades_3":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem \u003eNo Stars in the Sky\u003c\/em\u003e is a beautifully written, masterfully crafted collection that explores the trauma of loss. Its vivid characters stayed with me long after I finished the book.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_3_Auth":"Marina Nemat, author of Prisoner of Tehran and After Tehran","OtherText_Accolades_4":"\u003cp\u003eBrimming with unforgettable characters who find themselves in unimaginable circumstances \u003cem \u003eNo Stars in the Sky\u003c\/em\u003e shines with brilliance and will leave you breathless. Bátiz’s prose sparkles against the dark background of heartbreaking choices and harsh realities, and lights up the senses. This book is meant to be read slowly and savoured.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_4_Auth":"Christina Kilbourne, author of Safe Harbour and The Limitless Sky","OtherText_Accolades_5":"\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem \u003eNo Stars in the Sky\u003c\/em\u003e, Martha Bátiz travels across countries and cultures with confidence, humour, and an ear for the musicality of language. Her stories, both beautiful and terrifying, deal with loss, depression, injustice, and the need to love and be loved. A refreshing collection written by an author in full control of her literary style.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_5_Auth":"Pura López-Colomé, author of Speaking in Song and Borrosa Imago Mundi","OtherText_Back_cover_copy_0":"\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eA Mexican Canadian author, Bátiz is an authentic voice telling nuanced and layered Hispanic stories filled with multidimensional characters.\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eHer stories shine a light on crises such as the plight of migrant children along the Mexico–U.S. border, the tragedy of the disappeared in Mexico and Argentina, and generalized racial and domestic violence.\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\r\n","OtherText_Review_0":"\u003cp\u003eThis incisive and evocative collection of stories feature strong and resilient women faced with violence, disappearance and tragedies that all too often remain unseen.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_0_Auth":"Ms. Magazine","OtherText_Review_0_Src":"Ms. Magazine","OtherText_ShortDescription_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA new collection of hard-hitting and intimate stories by award-winning Mexican Canadian author Martha Bátiz.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","ProductFormDescription":"trade paperback","PublicationDate":"2022-05-03","Publisher":"House of Anansi Press Inc","ShortDescription":"A new collection of hard-hitting and intimate stories by award-winning Mexican Canadian author Martha Bátiz.","Width":"5.5","WidthCode":"in"}

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No Stars in the Sky

A new collection of hard-hitting and intimate stories by award-winning Mexican Canadian author Martha Bátiz.

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Quick View {"id":6811221917755,"title":"Nothing Could Be Further from the Truth","handle":"nothing-could-be-further-from-the-truth","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn stories both absurd and all-too-real, Christopher Evans paints a portrait of the uncanniness of modern life.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e The president of a holistic dog food company is haunted by a pop song from her past. Nine siblings band together to raise themselves after parental abandonment. A domestic argument reveals a woman’s supernatural gift. A failing musician finds his calling soundtracking another man’s life. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Christopher Evans's stories are people with strays — those who fall for the allure of nostalgia, grapple with male fragility, deny family trauma, and acquiesce to authority. For these characters, resignation and reinvention are only a breath apart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eNothing Could Be Further from the Truth \u003c\/em\u003eis a bold debut collection that sits at the threshold of expectation and reality.\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2022-03-21T09:28:06-04:00","created_at":"2022-03-21T09:16:44-04:00","vendor":"House of Anansi Press Inc","type":"","tags":["Adult Short Stories","Astoria","By (author) Evans Christopher","pub date: 2022-02-01"],"price":1899,"price_min":1899,"price_max":2299,"available":true,"price_varies":true,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":40190645469243,"title":"trade paperback","option1":"trade paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781487010331","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Nothing Could Be Further from the Truth - trade paperback","public_title":"trade paperback","options":["trade paperback"],"price":2299,"weight":206,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781487010331","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":40190645600315,"title":"epub","option1":"epub","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781487010348","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Nothing Could Be Further from the Truth - epub","public_title":"epub","options":["epub"],"price":1899,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":null,"barcode":"9781487010348","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/BNCImageAPI_814bf20e-826a-49ea-95ad-16bcec298dfa.jpg?v=1664085783"],"featured_image":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/BNCImageAPI_814bf20e-826a-49ea-95ad-16bcec298dfa.jpg?v=1664085783","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":22721062469691,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.786,"height":2100,"width":1650,"src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/BNCImageAPI_814bf20e-826a-49ea-95ad-16bcec298dfa.jpg?v=1664085783"},"aspect_ratio":0.786,"height":2100,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/BNCImageAPI_814bf20e-826a-49ea-95ad-16bcec298dfa.jpg?v=1664085783","width":1650}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn stories both absurd and all-too-real, Christopher Evans paints a portrait of the uncanniness of modern life.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e The president of a holistic dog food company is haunted by a pop song from her past. Nine siblings band together to raise themselves after parental abandonment. A domestic argument reveals a woman’s supernatural gift. A failing musician finds his calling soundtracking another man’s life. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Christopher Evans's stories are people with strays — those who fall for the allure of nostalgia, grapple with male fragility, deny family trauma, and acquiesce to authority. For these characters, resignation and reinvention are only a breath apart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eNothing Could Be Further from the Truth \u003c\/em\u003eis a bold debut collection that sits at the threshold of expectation and reality.\u003c\/p\u003e"} {"AlsoRecommendedISBN_0":"9780887842351","AlsoRecommendedISBN_1":"9781487001162","AlsoRecommendedISBN_2":"9781487006150","BASICMainSubject":"FIC019000","BASICMainSubjectLiteral":"FICTION\/Literary","BiographicalNote":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCHRISTOPHER EVANS\u003c\/strong\u003e is a graduate of the University of British Columbia’s Creative Writing Program and a former Prose Editor for \u003cem\u003ePRISM international\u003c\/em\u003e. His work has appeared in \u003cem\u003eBest Canadian Poetry\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eNew Quarterly\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLifted Brow\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eEVENT\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMaisonneuve\u003c\/em\u003e, and elsewhere and has been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. He currently teaches creative writing to children in Vancouver, British Columbia, on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.\u003c\/p\u003e","BISACSubjectLiteral_0":"FICTION \/ Literary","BISACSubjectLiteral_1":"FICTION \/ General","BISACSubjectLiteral_2":"FICTION \/ Short Stories (single author)","BISACSubject_0":"FIC019000","BISACSubject_1":"FIC000000","BISACSubject_2":"FIC029000","ContributorBio_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCHRISTOPHER EVANS\u003c\/strong\u003e is a graduate of the University of British Columbia’s Creative Writing Program and a former Prose Editor for \u003cem\u003ePRISM international\u003c\/em\u003e. His work has appeared in \u003cem\u003eBest Canadian Poetry\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eNew Quarterly\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLifted Brow\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eEVENT\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMaisonneuve\u003c\/em\u003e, and elsewhere and has been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. He currently teaches creative writing to children in Vancouver, British Columbia, on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","ContributorRole_0":"By (author)","Contributor_0":"Evans, Christopher (CA)","Description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn stories both absurd and all-too-real, Christopher Evans paints a portrait of the uncanniness of modern life.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e The president of a holistic dog food company is haunted by a pop song from her past. Nine siblings band together to raise themselves after parental abandonment. A domestic argument reveals a woman’s supernatural gift. A failing musician finds his calling soundtracking another man’s life. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Christopher Evans's stories are people with strays — those who fall for the allure of nostalgia, grapple with male fragility, deny family trauma, and acquiesce to authority. For these characters, resignation and reinvention are only a breath apart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eNothing Could Be Further from the Truth \u003c\/em\u003eis a bold debut collection that sits at the threshold of expectation and reality.\u003c\/p\u003e","EAN":"9781487010348","excerpt_0":"https:\/\/biblioshare.org\/BNCservices\/BNCServices.asmx\/Samples?token=fcf85c1c1b298e99\u0026amp;ean=9781487010348\u0026amp;SAN=\u0026amp;Perspective=excerpt\u0026amp;FileNumber=0","Height":"7","HeightCode":"in","Imprint":"Astoria","MetaKeywords":"Insomniac Press;short stories;mental health;toxic masculinity;city life;loneliness;dislocation;debut fiction;new Canadian author;Canadian Literature;Creative Writing;literary fiction","NumberOfPages":"248","OtherText_Accolades_0":"\u003cp\u003eIn crisp, forthright prose, Christopher Evans’s clear-eyed and compassionate collection of stories documents a present (and near future) that is both utterly bizarre and ambiguously hopeful. This is exactly what we need to be reading.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_0_Auth":"Carleigh Baker, author of Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize finalist Bad Endings","OtherText_Accolades_1":"\u003cp\u003eChristopher Evans’s stories fracture the mundane to reveal a bedrock of absurdity. Like Donald Barthelme, Evans brandishes humour in the face of reality, both defamiliarizing and helping us see more clearly the familiar emotional lives of his characters. These stories will make you laugh — until you notice your reflection peeking out between the pages.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_1_Auth":"John Elizabeth Stintzi, author of Vanishing Monuments and Junebat","OtherText_Accolades_2":"\u003cp\u003eEvans’s stories are littered with characters who are under the impression they are normal people. They are horribly, tragically mistaken . . . a perfect depiction of human nature. These stories are hilarious, strange, and touching. At their root, they are an exploration of the deep sadness of modern existence, which can only be conveyed through an equally deep humour.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_2_Auth":"Jen Neale, author of Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize finalist Land Mammals and Sea Creatures","OtherText_Accolades_3":"\u003cp\u003eUncanny in their capture of the anxiety of our times, these stories buzz with urgency, sting with humour, and probe a beguiling dream state: the absurdity and audacity of being human.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_3_Auth":"Nancy Lee, author of VanCity Book Prize winner The Age","OtherText_Accolades_4":"\u003cp\u003eThe stories in \u003cem\u003eNothing Could Be Further from the Truth\u003c\/em\u003e jangle with quiet urgency as their discontented protagonists grope for connection with each other and yearn for some small measure of fulfillment. Christopher Evans is so good at finding hilarity in the hopelessness, and cultivating tenderness for his flawed and fumbling characters.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_4_Auth":"Jessica Westhead, author of And Also Sharks and Things Not to Do","OtherText_Accolades_5":"\u003cp\u003eThe stories in \u003cem\u003eNothing Could Be Further from the Truth\u003c\/em\u003e draw readers into tiny worlds where the unreal combines seamlessly with the everyday. Written with humour and grace, Christopher Evans’s characters are thrown into situations that grow absurd and out of proportion, amplifying their failures and faults and exposing the truth of modern life. This is a wonderful collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_5_Auth":"Michael Melgaard, author of Pallbearing","OtherText_Back_cover_copy_0":"\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eChristopher Evans has received wide support in the Canadian literary community for this book, including from authors Zoe Whittall, Jen Sookfong Lee, and Madeleine Thien.\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eHe’s a highly respected author whose fiction has been a finalist for the prestigious Commonwealth Short Story Prize.\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eThe collection already has blurbs from Carleigh Baker, Jen Neale, John Elizabeth Stintzi, and Nancy Lee.\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eAstoria is the premiere imprint for Canadian short fiction.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","OtherText_Long_description_1":"\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eChristopher Evans has received wide support in the Canadian literary community for this book, including from authors Zoe Whittall, Jen Sookfong Lee, and Madeleine Thien.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe’s a highly respected author whose fiction has been a finalist for the prestigious Commonwealth Short Story Prize.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe collection already has blurbs from Carleigh Baker, Jen Neale, John Elizabeth Stintzi, and Nancy Lee.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAstoria is the premiere imprint for Canadian short fiction.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","OtherText_Previous_review_q_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW COPIES:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eBooklist\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003cli\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/li\u003e\r\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","OtherText_Review_0":"\u003cp\u003e“Evans is adept at identifying the disconnect that exists between reality and people’s individual perceptions of their world … Evans builds his entertaining stories upon a mixture of relatable ordinary life experiences and his characters’ personal viewpoints. This draws in readers as the stories in \u003cem \u003eNothing Could Be Further from the Truth \u003c\/em\u003ereflect our lives and the crazy world around us.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWinnipeg Free Press\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_0_Src":"Winnipeg Free Press","OtherText_Review_1":"\u003cp\u003e“This is a wonderful collection from a sure-footed writer with a great ear for dialogue. Meticulously observed, the stories illustrate how ordinary life often thrums with mysterious, elusive truths just waiting to be grasped, if only we are brave enough.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eForeword Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_1_Src":"Foreword Reviews","OtherText_Review_2":"\u003cp\u003e“In his relentlessly entertaining debut collection, Christopher Evans presents a series of arch depictions of what it means to be imperfectly human and vulnerable in a troubling and troublesome modern world.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eMiramichi Reader\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_2_Src":"Miramichi Reader","OtherText_Review_3":"\u003cp\u003e“The stories of Christopher Evans’s accomplished first book read as confident and effortless; they’re assured and mature, as though sprung fully-formed from the proverbial shell … Presented by a surefooted writer, the gallery of characters in \u003cem\u003eNothing Could Be Further from the Truth\u003c\/em\u003e fascinates. Under Evans’s capable hands squabbling couples, disgruntled teens, and lovers with stricken hearts command attention as they reach and stumble and reach once again for happiness, contentment, love, or an untroubled sense that everything is running smoothly at last.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eOrmsby Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_3_Src":"Ormsby Review","OtherText_Review_4":"\u003cp\u003e“Evans excels at succinct portraiture, saying a lot with a little in brief, intriguingly premised stories … A refreshingly different debut collection from a writer to watch.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_4_Src":"Library Journal","OtherText_ShortDescription_0":"\u003cp\u003eIn stories both absurd and all-too-real, Christopher Evans paints a portrait of the uncanniness of modern life.\u003c\/p\u003e","ProductFormDescription":"epub","PublicationDate":"2022-02-01","Publisher":"House of Anansi Press Inc","ShortDescription":"\u003cp\u003eIn stories both absurd and all-too-real, Christopher Evans paints a portrait of the uncanniness of modern life.\u003c\/p\u003e","Width":"5.5","WidthCode":"in"}

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