Bride of the Sea by Eman Quotah
- Sale Date
- ISBN
- 9781951142452
- Page Count
- 320
- Language
- English
- Dimensions
- 5½ x 8½
- Imprint
- Tin House
Meet the Author
Eman Quotah
NAMED MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK by Bustle * Goodreads * Ms. Magazine * Popsugar * Electric Literature * Chicago Review of Books * Newsweek * Alma * and more
Arab American Book Award Winner for Fiction
Shortlisted for the 2022 William Saroyan International Prize for Literature
Named a Best Debut Novel of the Year by BookPage and a Best Book of the Year by The New Arab
“A marvel. An intricately realized novel that honors every place it depicts.” —Rakesh Satyal
“I love the sea,” she said. “I don’t know if I could live without it.”
During a snowy Cleveland February, newlywed university students Muneer and Saeedah are expecting their first child, and he is harboring a secret: the word divorce is whispering in his ear. Soon, their marriage will end, and Muneer will return to Saudi Arabia, while Saeedah remains in Cleveland with their daughter, Hanadi. Consumed by a growing fear of losing her daughter, Saeedah disappears with the little girl, leaving Muneer to desperately search for his daughter for years. The repercussions of the abduction ripple outward, not only changing the lives of Hanadi and her parents, but also their interwoven family and friends—those who must choose sides and hide their own deeply guarded secrets.
And when Hanadi comes of age, she finds herself at the center of this conflict, torn between the world she grew up in and a family across the ocean. How can she exist between parents, between countries?
Eman Quotah’s Bride of the Sea is a spellbinding debut of colliding cultures, immigration, religion, and family; an intimate portrait of loss and healing; and, ultimately, a testament to the ways we find ourselves inside love, distance, and heartbreak.
Arab American Book Award Winner for Fiction
Shortlisted for the 2022 William Saroyan International Prize for Literature
Named a Best Debut Novel of the Year by BookPage and a Best Book of the Year by The New Arab
“A marvel. An intricately realized novel that honors every place it depicts.” —Rakesh Satyal
“I love the sea,” she said. “I don’t know if I could live without it.”
During a snowy Cleveland February, newlywed university students Muneer and Saeedah are expecting their first child, and he is harboring a secret: the word divorce is whispering in his ear. Soon, their marriage will end, and Muneer will return to Saudi Arabia, while Saeedah remains in Cleveland with their daughter, Hanadi. Consumed by a growing fear of losing her daughter, Saeedah disappears with the little girl, leaving Muneer to desperately search for his daughter for years. The repercussions of the abduction ripple outward, not only changing the lives of Hanadi and her parents, but also their interwoven family and friends—those who must choose sides and hide their own deeply guarded secrets.
And when Hanadi comes of age, she finds herself at the center of this conflict, torn between the world she grew up in and a family across the ocean. How can she exist between parents, between countries?
Eman Quotah’s Bride of the Sea is a spellbinding debut of colliding cultures, immigration, religion, and family; an intimate portrait of loss and healing; and, ultimately, a testament to the ways we find ourselves inside love, distance, and heartbreak.
Praise for Bride of the Sea
-
“Engrossing. . . . [offers] Americans a nuanced view of the Saudi Kingdom through a cast of compelling characters and a sweeping plot that spans continents and decades. . . . Quotah’s perspective is an important addition to American fiction.”
The Washington Post -
“Intertwines the dissolution and reconstruction of a single family with the evolving histories of the United States and Saudi Arabia. Eman Quotah deftly spans decades, miles, and cultures—and ultimately tells more stories within her 312 page debut than some authors tell across their entire careers. . . . In its most shining moments, Bride of the Sea displays the breadth and scope of grand family epics such as Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko, as we see a family move in rhythm with a larger history.”
Chicago Review of Books -
“A sensitive portrayal of becoming American—both the shedding of one's culture for the sake of fitting in and the difficult task of finding one's place, especially as an Arab American. . . . A clear-eyed debut from a writer who doesn't shy away from the messiness of family life.”
The Star Tribune
About the Imprint
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