West of the Jordan : a novel /

Halaby writes her first novel from the perspectives of four young cousins living worlds apart. Hala has resided in the U.S. for many years, and just as she is preparing for college, she is summoned home to Palestine. With American customs heavy in her heart, Hala hopes to find in her homeland the things she once loved. Mawal lives a quiet life with her elderly mother in Palestine, greeting the old ladies of the village and listening to their harrowing stories until their tears have dried. Most of them cry for their sons who have seen the glitter of America and have been swallowed up by ambition. Now their boys return to the village to kick at the dust and choose a wife to take away with them as a token of home. Soraya and Khadija live in America but are sadly imprisoned by their womanhood. Soraya hides her actions and desires, and Khadija hides herself under the shadow of a father's brutal hand. Halaby's voice conveys a tapestry of images. --Elsa Gaztambide Copyright 2003 Booklist

Four young women from Palestine and Jordan contend with issues of identity in this debut novel from Arab-American author Halaby. Hala, who has just finished high school in Arizona and intends to go to university, returns to Jordan to spend time with her dying grandmother. She finds herself at odds with her conservative older sister and her father, a traditional man much older than her independent mother, who died two years earlier. As she spends time in the country of her childhood, she forges a relationship with her older cousin, Sharif, and faces tough choices about her future. Hala's cousin Mawal has remained in the West Bank village of Nawara and leads a passive existence, living with her mother and listening to the many stories of villagers and relatives who have left for Jordan or the United States. In Los Angeles, two more cousins, Soraya and Khadija, attempt to integrate themselves into American life while facing prejudice and coping with their parents' traditional expectations; Soraya rebels with her sexuality, while Khadija faces a drunken and abusive father. The themes of choice and independence are very much at the forefront of the story, and much of the news revolves around loss: of homeland, of family, of traditions. Halaby's choice to alternate the narratives of the four young women offers real characterizations to latch onto, and her prose, often lyrical-particularly when the speakers relate other peoples' stories-deepens the complications of history and heritage. Contemplative and lush, this coming-of-age tale resonates with the challenges of cross-cultural life. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

This debut introduces readers to the rich and complicated lives of four young cousins: Mawal, who dwells on the West Bank, and Hala, Khadija, and Soraya, who have immigrated to the western United States. With her mother, Mawal gathers and dispenses the often-sorrowful tales of her village, which adds even greater depth to the narrative. Meanwhile, her cousins are torn between the expectations of traditional Arab culture and their emerging identities as young Arab American women. Their stories often intermingle, but Halaby's greatest talent lies in meting out a unique perspective for each cousin. As she writes, she reveals not only the struggles required to fashion a bicultural identity but also the demands that maturity and autonomy place on young women regardless of their ethnicity or nationality. Her novel gives librarians an opportunity to expand their holdings of exceptional Arab American and Arab women writers who do not necessarily conform to existing stereotypes. Recommended for all collections.-Faye A. Chadwell, Univ. of Oregon Lib., Eugene (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Adult/High School-This title conveys familiar themes-culture clash and the individual identity crisis that it provokes, plus coming-of-age-but its Muslim protagonists are somewhat rare in Western contemporary literature. In alternating chapters, four female cousins-Mawal, in the West Bank village of Nawara; Hala, in Arizona; and Khadija and Soraya, in California-tell their stories. Their experiences range from the orthodoxy that imbues Mawal's life to the freedoms that her American relatives find both exhilarating and frightening. The author focuses on the difficulties facing Arab women wherever they live, but especially when trying to navigate the crosscurrents of parental and traditional mores while seeking acceptance and success in a foreign country. The extremes of the latter difficulties are represented by Soraya, who is the most Americanized, and by shy Khadija, who endures an angry father's abuse. Hala's story bridges the two cultures; during a visit to Jordan to see her dying grandmother, she develops strong feelings for a male cousin, forcing her to seriously consider her future. With the possible exception of Hala, Halaby provides neither answers nor tidy endings to her characters' dilemmas, thus showing that growing up is messy and difficult whatever the ethnicity or religion, but perhaps especially so for the first generation in a new land.-Dori DeSpain, Fairfax County Public Library, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.