| West of the Jordan Contributor(s): Halaby, Laila (Author) |
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ISBN: 0807083593 ISBN-13: 9780807083598 Publisher: Beacon Press OUR PRICE: $16.83 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: June 2003 * Not available - Not in print at this time *Annotation: This is a revelatory first novel by a woman who is both an Arab and an American. Through the narratives of four cousins at the brink of maturity, Halaby immerses readers in the lives, friendships, and loves of girls struggling with national, ethnic, and sexual identities. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Fiction | Women |
| Dewey: FIC |
| LCCN: 2002154924 |
| Series: Bluestreak |
| Physical Information: 0.5" H x 5.41" W x 8.02" (0.57 lbs) 232 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Arab World - Cultural Region - Middle East - Sex & Gender - Feminine |
| Accelerated Reader Info |
| Quiz #: 75918 Reading Level: 5.6 Interest Level: Upper Grades Point Value: 9.0 |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: This is a brilliant and revelatory first novel by a woman who is both an Arab and an American, who speaks with both voices and understands both worlds. Through the narratives of four cousins at the brink of maturity, Laila Halaby immerses her readers in the lives, friendships, and loves of girls struggling with national, ethnic, and sexual identities. Mawal is the stable one, living steeped in the security of Palestinian traditions in the West Bank. Hala is torn between two worlds-in love in Jordan, drawn back to the world she has come to love in Arizona. Khadija is terrified by the sexual freedom of her American friends, but scarred, both literally and figuratively, by her father's abusive behavior. Soraya is lost in trying to forge an acceptable life in a foreign yet familiar land, in love with her own uncle, and unable to navigate the fast culture of California youth. Interweaving their stories, allowing us to see each cousin from multiple points of view, Halaby creates a compelling and entirely original story, a window into the rich and complicated Arab world. |