BEHIND YOU IS THE SEA

Ali Nasser and Rasha Zamamiri take turns narrating this novel-in-stories centered on the lives of Palestinian Americans in Baltimore. Nasser takes on the stories from the men's perspectives and Zamamiri from the women's. Both narrators voice characters of various ages, from teenagers to elders, with grace and ease. Zamamiri is especially good at her portrayal of teenage girls. Nasser perfectly captures the throaty grumblings and violent outbursts of older men in both English and Arabic. This is a quiet but poignant novel that delves into patriarchal violence, generational differences in immigrant communities, familial and cultural expectations, and the ways that both grief and deep love define relationships. L.S. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2024]