The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society

"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." — Maisonneuve

"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." — Shelf Awareness

"Years in the making, [The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society] reveals a writer who is sure of her subject and craft … Precise and sensitive." — Literary Review of Canada

"Memorable, vivid, and subversive at times, the stories bring to life a type of female experience seldom seen in immigrant narratives." — New Canadian Media

“The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society is a brisk and exciting debut from a writer we can’t wait to hear from again.” — Apple Books 

"A genuine and compelling narrative … The Syrian Ladies’ Benevolent Society is smart, elegant, and a necessary contribution to the overall literature challenging so many suffocating cultural stereotypes in Canadian society." — The Miramichi Reader

"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 The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society with 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." — That Shakespearean Rag

"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, The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society is a must-read from a writer to watch." — Marissa Stapley, New York Times bestselling author of Lucky

"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, The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society 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." — Elamin Abdelmahmoud, author of Son of Elsewhere

"In The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society, 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." — Dimitri Nasrallah, author of Hotline

"Gorgeous and gutting, The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society 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, yes." — Natalie Zina Walschots, author of Hench