Fiction Reads for Arab American Heritage Month 2025Like this list

12 items

• Evil Eye

  Rum, Etaf,

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  From Goodreads: "The acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of A Woman Is No Man returns with a striking exploration of the expectations of Palestinian-American women, the meaning of a fulfilling life, and the ways our unresolved pasts affect…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• My Friends

  Matar, Hisham, 1970-

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  A young man has a chance encounter with the hero author of his childhood that turns into a deep friendship that will end up changing his life.

• The Coin

  Zaher, Yasmin,

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  A young Palestinian woman begins to unravel after getting caught up in a pyramid scheme selling high end handbags in New York City.

• The Skin and Its Girl

  Cypher, Sarah

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  A searing, poetic generational saga that explores themes of sexual identity, exile, and legacy. 

• Between Two Moons

  Abdel Gawad, Aisha,

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  Set in the Muslim immigrant enclave of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, this novel follows three siblings coming of age over a single Ramadan and explores themes of identity, faith, and belonging.

• Behind You Is the Sea

  Darraj, Susan Muaddi,

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  A debut novel that invites readers into the homes of three Palestinian immigrant families who have had very different welcomes to America.

• Two Blankets, Three Sheets, a Towel, a Pillow, and a Pillowcase

  Khalidi, Rodhan Al-, 1971-

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  An Iraqi man flees conscription into Saddam Hussein's by seeking refugee in the Netherlands, not knowing he'll spend the next 9 years living in an asylum center.

• Shubeik Lubeik

  Muḥammad, Dīnā

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  2024 Arab American Book Award winner for fiction, this debut graphic novel that weaves magic and the socio-political realities of contemporary Egypt set in a fantastical Cairo where wishes are real.

• The Thirty Names of Night

  Joukhadar, Zeyn

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  A moving and lyrical novel that follows three generations of Syrian Americans linked together by the truths (and secrets) they carry close to their hearts.

• If An Egyptian Cannot Speak English

  Naga, Noor,

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  2023 Arab American Book Award winner for fiction, this experimental debut explores the ethics of fetishizing the homeland and exposes the gaps in American identity politics, especially when exported overseas.

• Book Awards – Arab American National Museum

  View on arabamericanmuseum.org

  Find more award winning books from Arab American voices by visiting the Arab American National Museum's website.

• National Arab American Heritage Month - Arab America Foundation

  View on arabamericafoundation.org

  Learn more about Arab American Heritage Month by visiting the Arab America Foundation's website.