Behind You Is the Sea: A Novel

Description

Longlisted for the 2025 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction"Behind You Is the Sea fearlessly confronts stereotypes about Palestinian culture, weaving a remarkable portrait of life's intricate moments, from joyous weddings to heart-wrenching funerals, from shattered hearts to hidden truths—I wept and grew alongside this family. This is a story that challenges perceptions, offering a heartfelt glimpse into the interior lives of those who call this community home. A must read novel with unforgettable characters & an unwavering, fresh voice—I couldn't put it down until the very last page! Darraj delivers an instant, necessary, & authentic classic to the cannon of Arab-American literature." — Etaf Rum, author of Evil Eye and A Woman Is No ManAn exciting debut novel that gives voice to the diverse residents of a Palestinian American community in Baltimore—from young activists in conflict with their traditional parents to the poor who clean for the rich—lives which intersect across divides of class, generation, & religion. Funny & touching, Behind You Is the Sea brings us into the homes & lives of three main families—the Baladis, the Salamehs, & the Ammars—Palestinian immigrants who've all found a different welcome in America. Their various fates & struggles cause their community dynamic to sizzle & sometimes explode: The wealthy Ammar family employs young Maysoon Baladi, whose own family struggles financially, to clean up after their spoiled teenagers. Meanwhile, Marcus Salameh confronts his father in an effort to protect his younger sister for “dishonoring” their name. Only a trip to Palestine, where Marcus experiences an unexpected & dramatic transformation, can bridge this seemingly unbridgeable divide between the two generations.Behind You Is the Sea faces stereotypes about Palestinian culture head-on and, shifting perspectives to weave a complex social fabric replete with weddings, funerals, broken hearts, & devastating secrets.