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dragongirl271's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Behind You Is The Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj
One of the things that surprised me when I finally got back into reading regularly last year was how much I enjoy a collection of short stories. In fact, one of last year's books that I still constantly think about is a short story collection. So, I was really excited when blackwalnutbooks included the short story prompt again for this year's DecolonizeYourShelf2024 and I was even more excited when I saw posts about this book as a 2024 release by a beloved Palestinian author. And, let me tell you, the synopsis on this book does not do it justice.
I don't have the character space to talk about this book, but I'll give it a shot. Darraj gives us an overarching tale of 3 Palestinian-American families in a series of short stories that peek into short moments in the characters’ lives. Almost all the stories focus on a different character (Marcus gets two) and combined span years. These characters grow, learn about themselves, tackle stereotypes, love deeply, and grieve. We get to see a glimpse of the immigrant experience and the sharing of cultures. Each character decides what it means to them to be Arab and Palestinian in today's world. What family and culture mean to them. The journeys are messy and beautiful and human and this will not be the last time I read through them all.
I love the idea of an episodic novel like this where all the short stories are connected. Occasionally, it was hard to keep all the names straight in the audiobook, but not everything can be perfect for every format. By the way, the audiobook is narrated extremely well.
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Cancer, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Classism
gar42's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Other than that, I thought it was a compelling portrait of a community. Each snippet of a life built out the diversity of experience of the Palestinian diaspora. It didn’t dwell on the conflict and trauma we associate with Palestine, but the effects of that violence could be felt.
Reminiscent of A House on Mango Street. A wonderful read.
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault
amyjo25's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse
metaphorsandmisc's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Dementia, Death of parent, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Rape, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Ableism, Infertility, and Suicide attempt
sarahbythebook's review against another edition
4.5
Darraj has expertly interwoven the lives of her characters; we see these singular people interacting in both positive and negative ways with the Palestinian community around them and the communities they live alongside. This book is a lesson that the Palestinian experience isn't just about pain and suffering, though that is surely a part of the story just like it is for any culture. There is love and joy, successes and celebrations. Behind You is the Sea is a heartfelt reminder that the Palestinian struggle is the human struggle. The fears and concerns are the same as anyone else's, but there is the added dimension of being Palestinian, of being from a place that others are trying to destroy.
So many topics are covered in these chapters that there's something everyone can relate to: loving someone whom your family doesn't approve of, success against the odds, the divide in socioeconomics, body image pressure, intimate relationships that go both right and very very wrong, casual racism and learning to use your voice, what familial duty means. My only issue with this book is that sometimes it was hard to remember how the characters were connected with one another, but that is an incredibly minor critique given the rest.
In Behind You is the Sea, Darraj provides readers just a peak behind the curtain of what it's like to be a Palestinian living in American. Their lives are full, their hurts are familiar and so are their joys.
While there are numerous triggering topics in this book, they are largely off page and discussed briefly. Infertility, domestic violence, and misogyny would be the exceptions.
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Islamophobia, Dementia, and Death of parent
Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Cancer, Drug use, Physical abuse, Self harm, Abortion, and Pregnancy
sarahyjackson's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Dementia, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Body shaming, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Classism
Minor: Sexual assault
paulasuze's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Susan Muaddi Darraj's debut novel is a beautiful exploration of life in the diaspora for Palestinian immigrants in America. The book exists in the universe of three families in Baltimore, Maryland, each chapter telling the story of a different family member. This multi-generational tale tackles difficult topics, from eating disorders, to the intersection of class and race, to the cycle of poverty, to sexual assault, to anti-Arab sentiment and Islamophobia, to inter- and intra-community violence. Few characters endear themselves to the reader, but their stories are no less engrossing because of it.
The blurb states that the book faces stereotypes about Palestinians head-on, and in some cases that's true. In a few stories though, I wasn't sure if the narrative was actually reinforcing stereotypes rather than dispelling them. Additionally, there is a lot of hero worship/glorification of policing and the US military which I found interesting. Because of the policing/military violence under the occupation in Palestine, I would have expected the opposite, but maybe Darraj is noting that the first generation children of these immigrants are so removed from Palestine that they do not know that violence and therefore don't abhor the institution of it. Unclear!
Overall though, it was a compelling story and a debut that definitely has me keeping an eye out for what the author puts out next.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Police brutality
Minor: Torture and Cultural appropriation