Zeyn Joukhadar

A trans man struggles to confidently and publicly establish his own identity while dealing with the death of his mother, the constraints of his Syrian culture, and the expectations of his immigrant grandmother and immediate community. As if he's not dealing with enough, his own artwork has stagnated and his growing obsession with an illusive artist from the neighborhood seems to hold the key to it all. Many years ago, Laila Z, a famous Syrian artist disappeared leaving many to wonder if any show more of her works remain undiscovered. Our protagonist finds a journal of Laila Z's and the mystery he unearths with it will draw him into new circles to discover secrets about his family, his community, and himself.

This is a complex and intersectional story about the immigrant experience, art and self-expression, familial duties, and the expectations our cultures put on us to behave a certain way, especially when it comes to our gender presentation. There is so much richness and rarity here, offering a look for many into a world they will never experience. show less

After the death of her father, for reasons Nour doesn't understand, her mother moves them from New York back to Syria. The timing couldn't be more tragic: shortly after their arrival civil unrest commences, which leads swiftly to the Syrian Civil War, forcing Nour and her family to flee the conflict when their home is reduced to rubble. Throughout the hardships of their flight to safety, Nour compares her journey to that of 12th-century travelers Rawiya and al-Idrisi, who circumnavigated the show more Mediterranean in pursuit of creating the most detailed world map of its time.

This book is beautifully written and difficult to put down. Readers will immediately sense the trajectory of the dual timelines as Joukhadar deftly interweaves the fantastical past with the all-too-real present. I enjoyed detecting the similarities, though be forewarned that the contemporary plot is absolutely gut-wrenching. Highly recommended. show less

In this beautifully written literary fiction, Nour, a girl of Syrian-American heritage, must relocate with her mother and two sisters to Syria after her father’s death. Upon settling into a new home in Syria, civil war breaks out. They begin a journey across the Middle East and North Africa in search of safe-haven. Nour’s father had often repeated a story to her, an ancient fable of a heroic girl and a mapmaker. This mystical story is interwoven into the primary narrative in alternating show more segments. I very much enjoyed the two intertwined stories, set hundreds of years apart, especially the way they parallel each other in geographic location as well as action sequences. Both stories contain mapmakers and strong young female protagonists that masquerade as boys. Both contain journeys, villains, and danger. The older mythical story sets the historic context for the contemporary story.

The author vividly portrays the various cultures of the region. Small portions of the story slip into the realm of magical realism in a way that adds to rather than detracts from the narrative. This novel brings the Syrian refugee crisis into sharp focus, and vividly conveys the impact on families, especially women and children. While the pacing seemed uneven in a few places, I found it extremely imaginative, lyrically written, and well-crafted.

Filled with visions of home, courage, and hope, the ancient and contemporary stories converge in a meaningful way at the end. This is a debut novel and I look forward to reading future works from this author. Highly recommended to readers of historical or literary fiction, or those interested in narratives featuring strong women, diverse cultures, or Syrian heritage. show less

The Thirty Names of Nights is one of those books that leaves you in tears (the good kind) and makes you keep saying to those around you (if they're the patient type) "thank G-d THIS writer was born to write THIS book NOW." It's peopled with the kind of complex, diverse individuals that show up far too rarely in contemporary fiction. The cast is multi-generational, mostly Syrian-American, living in post-9/11 New York City when immigrant hopes of being embraced as part of society-at-large have show more been flattened, particularly so for those of Arab descent.

The characters in The Thirty Names of Night are primarily Syrian-American, but each is uncomfortably conscious of a way they don't fit in: not just in society-at-large, but also within their traditional, tightly knit immigrant community. Social expectations fall particularly heavily on women—older, first generation immigrant women; the first women born in the U.S.; and the children of these women.

The novel's three themes—the power of art, the nature of love, and gender identity— weave together in a braid both beautiful and complex. A leitmotif of birds runs throughout, adding a layer of magical realism.

All I can say is "Buy this novel! Read it slowly and savor it. Become a part of the characters' lives and journey with them." This is reading of a rare richness. Don't miss it.

I received a free electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via Nat Galley. The opinions are my own. show less