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The Inheritance of Exile: Stories from South Philly
In The Inheritance of Exile, Susan Muaddi Darraj expertly weaves a tapestry of the events and struggles in the lives of four Arab-American women. Hanan, Nadia, Reema, and Aliyah search for a meaningful sense of home, caught in the cultural gap that exists between the Middle East and the United States. Daughters of Palestinian immigrants who have settled into South Philly, ...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
April 1st 2007
by University of Notre Dame Press
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Wow! I haven't read a collection of short stories this good in a very long time. I found the writing to be straightforward but deceptively complex. The emotions were well-developed yet without that saturation of drama that so characterizes many so-called "heartfelt" books. I felt embarrassed, sad, excited, worried, and happy along with the characters. I also think that this would be an interesting book for many people interested in Arabs or Palestinians because many people consider Ara...more
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This is a really amazing book that took me totally by surprise. It's a collection of tightly-linked stories about two generations of Palestinian-American women living in a Philadelphia neighborhood. The structure, as well as the focus on mother-daughter relationships and the immigrant experience, is reminiscent of Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club." But the daughters in Susan Muaddi Darraj's stories come from a younger generation than Tan's characters, and -- as the subtitle of the book ...more
Though it started slow, it picked up pretty fast and proved a pretty addictive read. The heroes of this short story-novella are the Arab American men, the dads, the brothers, the lovers, who stand by their neurotic Arab American significant others. (White American men don't come out looking very good.) Who would have thunk it? I'm reviewing this book for a magazine, and I'll give it a good review.
An intelligent, insightful collection of short stories told through the eyes of four young women making sense of what it means to be Arab in America. You don't have to be Arab, or even an immigrant, to find something of yourself in these stories.
A delightful collection of short stories. I'd recommend to anybody who enjoys good fiction.
Fantastic read. It was rather nostalgic reading about the immigrant experience with Philadelphia as a backdrop. At one point when two characters met at the "clothespin," you know exactly where they were! Overall, though, a very refreshing collection of short stories.
AMAZING! This book is a great read especially for those of us living in Philly but the stories are universal.
Wonderful! Complex account of daily life outside of place.
read a promising review in the urbanite...any comments?
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