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The Arsonists' City

by Hala Alyan

Narrator Leila Buck

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Length 19 hours 34 minutes

Language English

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Bookseller recommendation

“I really enjoyed this slow burning family drama about long held secrets, holding on to your heritage, and sibling relationships...The complexities in all her characters and their relationships is impressive and I love that no one was perfect. There was no easy resolutions or come-to-Jesus moments but instead just becoming comfortable with being imperfect. I love the general theme that everyone deserves to have their secrets. Lots gets revealed about the Nasr family, things that could blow up and rip the family apart, but instead of letting them ruin things, the family comes to terms with the idea that though certain things are true, the revealing of them can be more harmful than helpful. There was a great dissection of race, class, and identity among the family members. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Leila Buck and her voice perfect encapsulated all three siblings and Mazna, crossing eras and genders and even having a brief singing moment that was truly magical. All in all, I was deeply engrossed in this story and the beautifully written words would stick with me throughout my day. I would find myself disappointed that perspectives shift only to be just as enamored with the next part, always learning to care deeply about each character despite any flaws. This book is great for any literary fiction lover and those that like well written characters and relationships.”
— Kimi • Buttonwood Books and Toys

Summary

A rich family story, a personal look at the legacy of war in the Middle East, and an indelible rendering of how we hold on to the people and places we call homeThe Nasr family is spread across the globe—Beirut, Brooklyn, Austin, the California desert. A Syrian mother, a Lebanese father, and three American children: all have lived a life of migration. Still, they’ve always had their ancestral home in Beirut—a constant touchstone—and the complicated, messy family love that binds them. But following his father’s recent death, Idris, the family’s new patriarch, has decided to sell. The decision brings the family to Beirut, where everyone unites against Idris in a fight to save the house. They all have secrets—lost loves, bitter jealousies, abandoned passions, deep-set shame—that distance has helped smother. But in a city smoldering with the legacy of war, an ongoing flow of refugees, religious tension, and political protest, those secrets ignite, imperiling the fragile ties that hold this family together.In a novel teeming with wisdom, warmth, and characters born of remarkable human insight, the award-winning author Hala Alyan shows us again that “fiction is often the best filter for the real world around us” (NPR).

Fiction Fiction - Literary