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Gulf
A cinematic and unforgettable debut novel that casts a harsh desert light on often overlooked stories from the Arabian Gulf through the voices of five diverse women whose lives collide with devastating and profound consequences.
Five women with vastly different origins—from the Philippines to Ethiopia to New York City—must navigate the difficult but true realities as women, wives, and mothers in the unrelenting landscape of the Arabian Gulf.
From her post-weather, air-conditioned luxury home, a wealthy Saudi housewife and new mother becomes disillusioned with her marriage and rebels against all forms of domesticity. Her reign of terror affects those around her, including the newly arrived Filipina caretaker, haunted by the flood that claimed her own child as she navigates the foreign pink and brown suburban desert. A white American art curator in Abu Dhabi confronts her complicity and privilege within the region’s complex history. A lonely, isolated Syrian woman seeks love within the confines of her arranged marriage to an ISIS fighter. An Ethiopian girl strives to forge her own path after fleeing a life she didn’t want.
These are the women whose stories you never hear. These fierce women’s paths cross and tangle, revealing the complex, and sometimes devastating, landscape of the Gulf region. As each bold move unlocks new consequences, these stories expose the stark realities of what happens when a woman’s agency is stripped away.
Gulf is a book about cruelty, rebellion, resilience—and hope. It asks the how far would you go in order to survive?
Five women with vastly different origins—from the Philippines to Ethiopia to New York City—must navigate the difficult but true realities as women, wives, and mothers in the unrelenting landscape of the Arabian Gulf.
From her post-weather, air-conditioned luxury home, a wealthy Saudi housewife and new mother becomes disillusioned with her marriage and rebels against all forms of domesticity. Her reign of terror affects those around her, including the newly arrived Filipina caretaker, haunted by the flood that claimed her own child as she navigates the foreign pink and brown suburban desert. A white American art curator in Abu Dhabi confronts her complicity and privilege within the region’s complex history. A lonely, isolated Syrian woman seeks love within the confines of her arranged marriage to an ISIS fighter. An Ethiopian girl strives to forge her own path after fleeing a life she didn’t want.
These are the women whose stories you never hear. These fierce women’s paths cross and tangle, revealing the complex, and sometimes devastating, landscape of the Gulf region. As each bold move unlocks new consequences, these stories expose the stark realities of what happens when a woman’s agency is stripped away.
Gulf is a book about cruelty, rebellion, resilience—and hope. It asks the how far would you go in order to survive?
432 pages, Hardcover
First published May 6, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
July 23, 2025
Gulf follows the intersecting lives of five women whose different backgrounds and personal histories bring them to different Gulf countries. Though each woman’s story is different, together they form a powerful reflection on displacement, gender, labor, and survival in a region shaped by wealth, migration, and systemic inequality.
First, we meet Dounia, a wealthy Saudi woman living in Ras al-Khair, who battles postpartum depression in deeply isolating circumstances. Dounia’s narrative becomes entangled with that of Flora, a Filipina domestic worker she hires and ultimately exploits under the region’s notorious Kafala System. Then, we meet Justine, a curator from New York City recruited by the Emirati government to develop a falconry exhibit at the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi. Her outsider perspective frames much of the novel’s early exploration of cultural heritage and national identity. We also meet Zeinah, a Syrian student forced into marriage with an ISIS fighter in the hope of staying safe, but who questions what power means. Last, but not least we meet Eskedare, a young Ethiopian woman who has always felt a bit out of place and is desperate to reconnect with her long lost friend.
The novel also weaves in global events, touching on the Yemeni and Syrian civil wars, the rise of ISIS, and the enduring legacy of colonialism and labor migration in the Gulf. These wider geopolitical forces are not simply backdrops but deeply embedded in the characters’ lived experiences, shaping the constraints and limited choices available to each woman.
What Ogrodnik does exceptionally well is capture the often invisible negotiations women make daily to endure and adapt in spaces dominated by power imbalances whether they be economic, political, or familial. Her writing is both visually evocative and emotionally precise, likely informed by her background as a filmmaker. The pacing is never rushed; each chapter propels the story forward while maintaining a steady emotional pull.
If there’s a shortcoming, it’s that the novel occasionally feels like it’s reaching for breadth over depth. At times I longed for more critical reflection or psychological depth in some of the characters’ arcs, especially that of Eskedare who felt the least fully-formed of the main characters. Still, even with these moments of brevity, the stories remain compelling. I found it hard to put the book down - not just because of the plot, but because of the atmosphere, tension, and emotional weight each chapter carried.
Overall, this was an unsettling read that was unflinching in its interrogation of privilege and complicity in systemic exploitation. It’s not without flaws, but it is full of emotional resonance.
Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster/Summit Books for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions shared within this review are my own.
First, we meet Dounia, a wealthy Saudi woman living in Ras al-Khair, who battles postpartum depression in deeply isolating circumstances. Dounia’s narrative becomes entangled with that of Flora, a Filipina domestic worker she hires and ultimately exploits under the region’s notorious Kafala System. Then, we meet Justine, a curator from New York City recruited by the Emirati government to develop a falconry exhibit at the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi. Her outsider perspective frames much of the novel’s early exploration of cultural heritage and national identity. We also meet Zeinah, a Syrian student forced into marriage with an ISIS fighter in the hope of staying safe, but who questions what power means. Last, but not least we meet Eskedare, a young Ethiopian woman who has always felt a bit out of place and is desperate to reconnect with her long lost friend.
The novel also weaves in global events, touching on the Yemeni and Syrian civil wars, the rise of ISIS, and the enduring legacy of colonialism and labor migration in the Gulf. These wider geopolitical forces are not simply backdrops but deeply embedded in the characters’ lived experiences, shaping the constraints and limited choices available to each woman.
What Ogrodnik does exceptionally well is capture the often invisible negotiations women make daily to endure and adapt in spaces dominated by power imbalances whether they be economic, political, or familial. Her writing is both visually evocative and emotionally precise, likely informed by her background as a filmmaker. The pacing is never rushed; each chapter propels the story forward while maintaining a steady emotional pull.
If there’s a shortcoming, it’s that the novel occasionally feels like it’s reaching for breadth over depth. At times I longed for more critical reflection or psychological depth in some of the characters’ arcs, especially that of Eskedare who felt the least fully-formed of the main characters. Still, even with these moments of brevity, the stories remain compelling. I found it hard to put the book down - not just because of the plot, but because of the atmosphere, tension, and emotional weight each chapter carried.
Overall, this was an unsettling read that was unflinching in its interrogation of privilege and complicity in systemic exploitation. It’s not without flaws, but it is full of emotional resonance.
Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster/Summit Books for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions shared within this review are my own.
September 14, 2025
I really wanted to like this book due to it being about Arab women. However, this book talks about the region in a reductive tone and perpetuates stereotypes that your average reader may wrongfully agree with. It unnecessarily brings up terrorism by talking about a woman living in Syria—which is not a Gulf country—whose plot does not correlate to any of the other characters. It talks about the Kafala system and how many workers kill themselves due to horrible working conditions. However, the fate of one of the women in the story was falsely represented as an act of protest when the things occurring in her life were solely consequences of her own actions. Supposedly what tied the five narratives together was their shared feelings of hope for a better life. However, only two out of five characters in the book are likable and both of their fates were disheartening. The book left me feeling unsettled and disgusted, and there were many times where I wanted to put it down because of how graphic and unnecessarily detailed the writing was. It was exactly what you would expect from a white woman trying to comment on the Middle East and for that I am very disappointed.
March 23, 2025
I was sucked in right away and couldn’t put this book down. This story had me hooked! It follows five distinct characters, each with their own struggles, but they all have one thing in common—hope. Hope for a better future, a sense of purpose, and a life that actually means something.
Their journeys aren’t easy, and some parts are tough to read. But that’s what makes this book so powerful. The author does an incredible job of pulling you into each character’s world, showing how every decision they make comes with real consequences—some heartbreaking, some eye-opening. It really makes you think about the weight of our choices and how they shape our lives.
Having lived in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, I felt especially connected to this book. The setting, the emotions, and the challenges the characters face felt so real to me. This isn’t a lighthearted read, but it’s the kind of story that sticks with you long after you turn the last page. And honestly? That’s the best kind of book.
Their journeys aren’t easy, and some parts are tough to read. But that’s what makes this book so powerful. The author does an incredible job of pulling you into each character’s world, showing how every decision they make comes with real consequences—some heartbreaking, some eye-opening. It really makes you think about the weight of our choices and how they shape our lives.
Having lived in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, I felt especially connected to this book. The setting, the emotions, and the challenges the characters face felt so real to me. This isn’t a lighthearted read, but it’s the kind of story that sticks with you long after you turn the last page. And honestly? That’s the best kind of book.
March 21, 2025
Women being women (powerful and strong dispite the circumstances that stand in their way). This story follows 5 women with different origins and backgrounds that lead them to the Arabian gulf. Each of their stories are so different yet so impactful. Helped me be better educated on the limitation of choices in that region and the reality of how far women will go for hopes of a better future and to protect the ones they love from what is happening around them. Though you can try to shield people from the the harsh truth of reality, turning a blind eye to what’s going on in the world around you does not change the fact that it is still happening and affecting people around the world this very second. This story touched me and is very different from my normal read. Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my very first earc I loved.
May 5, 2025
Later this month, U.S. President Donald Trump will take his second trip abroad since returning to the White House, traveling to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The visit is a reflection of those countries’ growing geopolitical clout. So too is American filmmaker Mo Ogrodnik’s debut novel, Gulf, an uncomfortable portrait of a region whose economic allure is undergirded by troublesome social and political realities.
The book follows five women from around the world who land in the Gulf for a variety of personal and professional reasons. Justine is a curator from New York City whom the Emirati government has scouted to develop an exhibit on the falcon—the “lion of the skies” and the emblem of the UAE—at the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi. Dounia is a wealthy Saudi mother based in the port city of Ras al-Khair. She struggles in the postpartum period; “like an abandoned buoy, she float[s] out to sea, losing contact with the world” while subjecting her household to a range of emotional outbursts. Dounia’s life becomes intertwined with that of Flora, the Filipina domestic worker she hires—and abuses—under the notorious kafala system... [READ THE REST IN FP: https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/05/02/...]]
The book follows five women from around the world who land in the Gulf for a variety of personal and professional reasons. Justine is a curator from New York City whom the Emirati government has scouted to develop an exhibit on the falcon—the “lion of the skies” and the emblem of the UAE—at the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi. Dounia is a wealthy Saudi mother based in the port city of Ras al-Khair. She struggles in the postpartum period; “like an abandoned buoy, she float[s] out to sea, losing contact with the world” while subjecting her household to a range of emotional outbursts. Dounia’s life becomes intertwined with that of Flora, the Filipina domestic worker she hires—and abuses—under the notorious kafala system... [READ THE REST IN FP: https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/05/02/...]]
July 13, 2025
Came back to edit to 5 stars because I have been thinking back to this book above all others all year.
Oooof this was a heavy but powerful read. Five women find themselves in the Arabian Gulf for different reasons: hopes of providing for their family abroad, bound by an unchosen marriage, the promise of a better life...
Not an easy read by any means but artfully written. The reader becomes maybe more familiar than they wanted with the power struggles, stripped freedoms, and struggles of women in the region. I especially thought the author did an amazing job showing how these struggles made interactions with other women difficult and complicated. This will stick with me.
"So many women entwined, tangled together in fragile knots of absence. Nets of women mending holes. A labor force of women forfeiting connection for survival and the promise of economic freedom."
Oooof this was a heavy but powerful read. Five women find themselves in the Arabian Gulf for different reasons: hopes of providing for their family abroad, bound by an unchosen marriage, the promise of a better life...
Not an easy read by any means but artfully written. The reader becomes maybe more familiar than they wanted with the power struggles, stripped freedoms, and struggles of women in the region. I especially thought the author did an amazing job showing how these struggles made interactions with other women difficult and complicated. This will stick with me.
"So many women entwined, tangled together in fragile knots of absence. Nets of women mending holes. A labor force of women forfeiting connection for survival and the promise of economic freedom."
December 29, 2025
This is a very difficult book to rate. As a lover of historical fiction, I picked this up in hopes to learn more of lives with experiences far from my own. It was definitely captivating and powerful, I absolutely loved the lyrical elements in each of the 5 voices. The pace was un-rushed (with the exception of Zeinah, whose story felt jagged) and it examined inarguably important stories to be heard, but there was a definite cost of sharing 5 different voices in one novel. There was an insinuation of so many experiences and revelations that I wish were explored, but ultimately there was greater breadth than depth. But for a debut novel?? Wow. Teetering between 3.5 and 4!
November 22, 2025
Gut-wrenching perspectives of five different women highlighted the nuanced struggles faced by women across the gulf. I felt that some of the storylines could have been developed and intertwined more but the ending was powerful nonetheless.
June 26, 2025
Five women. Five countries. One region pulling their lives into orbit, through grief, control, migration, and moments of quiet defiance.
Gulf is Mo Ogrodnik's fiercely atmospheric debut, and I honestly couldn’t put it down. Told in spare, cinematic fragments, it weaves together the stories of five women connected (sometimes unknowingly) by the geography, power structures, and domestic politics of the Arabian Gulf.
There’s Dounia, newly married and pregnant, slowly unravelling inside a luxury compound in Ras al-Khair. Flora, her Filipina domestic worker, reeling from the loss of her son and caught in a cycle of isolation and exploitation. Zeinah, a Syrian student forced into marriage with an ISIS fighter in the hope of staying safe. Justine, an American museum curator drawn to the UAE by prestige and legacy. And Eskedare, a teenage Ethiopian girl whose dreams and identity have been compromised from the moment she crosses the border.
What Ogrodnik captures brilliantly is the sense of dislocation and constraint, the endless recalibrating women do to survive in places where power, gender, and labour are deeply entangled. The writing is sharp and visual (unsurprisingly, Ogrodnik is a filmmaker too), and the pace keeps the narrative moving without ever losing its emotional pull.
Yes, there were moments I wanted more time with each woman, more interiority, more complexity, but I was never less than fully gripped. Gulf asks hard questions about privilege, complicity, and what survival looks like when your choices have already been made for you.
This was an unsettling, important read—unafraid to interrogate privilege, unflinching in its portrayal of power’s cost. Not without flaws, but full of weight.
Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read via NetGalley, as always, this is an honest review. Gulf is available now.
Gulf is Mo Ogrodnik's fiercely atmospheric debut, and I honestly couldn’t put it down. Told in spare, cinematic fragments, it weaves together the stories of five women connected (sometimes unknowingly) by the geography, power structures, and domestic politics of the Arabian Gulf.
There’s Dounia, newly married and pregnant, slowly unravelling inside a luxury compound in Ras al-Khair. Flora, her Filipina domestic worker, reeling from the loss of her son and caught in a cycle of isolation and exploitation. Zeinah, a Syrian student forced into marriage with an ISIS fighter in the hope of staying safe. Justine, an American museum curator drawn to the UAE by prestige and legacy. And Eskedare, a teenage Ethiopian girl whose dreams and identity have been compromised from the moment she crosses the border.
What Ogrodnik captures brilliantly is the sense of dislocation and constraint, the endless recalibrating women do to survive in places where power, gender, and labour are deeply entangled. The writing is sharp and visual (unsurprisingly, Ogrodnik is a filmmaker too), and the pace keeps the narrative moving without ever losing its emotional pull.
Yes, there were moments I wanted more time with each woman, more interiority, more complexity, but I was never less than fully gripped. Gulf asks hard questions about privilege, complicity, and what survival looks like when your choices have already been made for you.
This was an unsettling, important read—unafraid to interrogate privilege, unflinching in its portrayal of power’s cost. Not without flaws, but full of weight.
Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read via NetGalley, as always, this is an honest review. Gulf is available now.
April 17, 2025
Gulf follows the lives of five women from different cultures and classes whose lives converge in Saudi Arabia.
I don’t know if I particularly liked this, but perhaps that’s the point? Looking into the eye of the female condition and treatment of women around the world isn’t a particularly good feeling.
But at the same, when almost every character was so unlikable I found myself wanting to put the book down. At one point I wondered if the moral question being posed was asking if women become monsters when suffocated under the patriarchy, or if at the end of it, women are inherently bad and that’s why we have the patriarchy to have someone to watch over them. It felt bleak, and I don’t know if that was the effect that I was supposed to walk away with.
I will say, I went into this not knowing anything about the kafala system, and this was a great introduction to the injustice of the treatment of the women in these positions.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I don’t know if I particularly liked this, but perhaps that’s the point? Looking into the eye of the female condition and treatment of women around the world isn’t a particularly good feeling.
But at the same, when almost every character was so unlikable I found myself wanting to put the book down. At one point I wondered if the moral question being posed was asking if women become monsters when suffocated under the patriarchy, or if at the end of it, women are inherently bad and that’s why we have the patriarchy to have someone to watch over them. It felt bleak, and I don’t know if that was the effect that I was supposed to walk away with.
I will say, I went into this not knowing anything about the kafala system, and this was a great introduction to the injustice of the treatment of the women in these positions.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
May 23, 2025
*****3.5*****
This book is hard to rate, but I'm settling on 3.5 stars because I learned a lot from it, and it's beautifully written. I like the structure of 5 different points of view and one of them being in the present and moving forward while the rest are in the past. It was interesting to follow along. What I don't like about this book is a tendency I only see in literary books to oversexualize everything and include random sexual content in sections of the book where it makes no sense. I also don't fully appreciate two of the plot lines because there is, for me, no objective correlative for the extremity of the women's behavior.
I learned about the Yemeni Civil War and that Filipina women work as maids in the Persian Gulf region to send money back to their families. I also learned more about the Syrian conflict and ISIS than I ever knew before, and I learned about the all-women brigades that helped enforce Sharia law. I also learned something more about falconry and a decent amount about Abu Dhabi that I didn't know before. I like the 5 stories about women and their various experiences, backstories, struggles, and traumas. I also really like the endings of each section except one. The ending of the book is, for me, perfect and very strong, evoking a lot of emotion and tying back to themes throughout the whole novel.
This book would've been a five-star book for me if it didn't include and if it didn't include .
Overall, I recommend this book if you like stories with multiple points of view that take place in a part of the world that Americans don't always know a lot about and if you like stories about women and their resilience or lack thereof to the culture around them and its demands.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-book for this review.
This book is hard to rate, but I'm settling on 3.5 stars because I learned a lot from it, and it's beautifully written. I like the structure of 5 different points of view and one of them being in the present and moving forward while the rest are in the past. It was interesting to follow along. What I don't like about this book is a tendency I only see in literary books to oversexualize everything and include random sexual content in sections of the book where it makes no sense. I also don't fully appreciate two of the plot lines because there is, for me, no objective correlative for the extremity of the women's behavior.
I learned about the Yemeni Civil War and that Filipina women work as maids in the Persian Gulf region to send money back to their families. I also learned more about the Syrian conflict and ISIS than I ever knew before, and I learned about the all-women brigades that helped enforce Sharia law. I also learned something more about falconry and a decent amount about Abu Dhabi that I didn't know before. I like the 5 stories about women and their various experiences, backstories, struggles, and traumas. I also really like the endings of each section except one. The ending of the book is, for me, perfect and very strong, evoking a lot of emotion and tying back to themes throughout the whole novel.
This book would've been a five-star book for me if it didn't include and if it didn't include .
Overall, I recommend this book if you like stories with multiple points of view that take place in a part of the world that Americans don't always know a lot about and if you like stories about women and their resilience or lack thereof to the culture around them and its demands.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-book for this review.
August 3, 2025
Okay I really liked this book... It didn’t take me long to become invested in these women, especially Flora and Zeinah.
I read this book mainly out of curiosity, as I’ve begun working on projects in the Gulf as part of my job. Other reviewers have pointed out that this book sometimes plays into reductive tendencies that play into common stereotypes about Gulf women. I won’t pretend to be an expert in this area and reject those critiques, especially since as far as I can tell, the author is an American woman whose credentials are that her academic/professional expertise is in this region. Nothing wrong with that and not doubting her knowledge, but kept that in mind during my read. But I kept wondering what these stories might have been like if told in the words of a woman from the Gulf.
That said, I learned immensely from this book. I was previously unaware of the massive scope of the Kafala system, which I’ve gone down a rabbit hole on after finishing this book. It led me to see the system as predatory and oppressive. But I also wonder what the women in the system would say? The horror stories are endless, but I still wonder how women inside the system would frame their own stories, and I imagine the reality is much more complex.
For me, the biggest disappointment was the underdevelopment of Eskedare. Her early chapters were slow in comparison to the others, so I didn’t connect with her the same way I did with the other women. By the end of the book, I came to regret not paying closer attention to her story. For such an integral character, I wish we got more of her!
As a white American woman myself, I guess I was supposed to find Justine’s story the most relatable, but that wasn’t the case. I often found her frustrating and self-absorbed. I didn’t feel like she confronted her privilege in any meaningful way.
As for Dounia, a mother struggling with post partum depression and the birth of a daughter in a deeply patriarchal society, I wasn’t the right audience to have sympathy for her after her treatment of Flora. But maybe I would feel differently if I myself had gone through it.
I was a bit confused that every story tied together except Zeinah’s. I enjoyed reading her chapters but was expecting some tie-in as we saw with the other 4 women.
I obviously will be thinking about this book for a long time. It’s a unique, ambitious book that I learned a lot from, and for that, it gets 4 stars from me.
I read this book mainly out of curiosity, as I’ve begun working on projects in the Gulf as part of my job. Other reviewers have pointed out that this book sometimes plays into reductive tendencies that play into common stereotypes about Gulf women. I won’t pretend to be an expert in this area and reject those critiques, especially since as far as I can tell, the author is an American woman whose credentials are that her academic/professional expertise is in this region. Nothing wrong with that and not doubting her knowledge, but kept that in mind during my read. But I kept wondering what these stories might have been like if told in the words of a woman from the Gulf.
That said, I learned immensely from this book. I was previously unaware of the massive scope of the Kafala system, which I’ve gone down a rabbit hole on after finishing this book. It led me to see the system as predatory and oppressive. But I also wonder what the women in the system would say? The horror stories are endless, but I still wonder how women inside the system would frame their own stories, and I imagine the reality is much more complex.
For me, the biggest disappointment was the underdevelopment of Eskedare. Her early chapters were slow in comparison to the others, so I didn’t connect with her the same way I did with the other women. By the end of the book, I came to regret not paying closer attention to her story. For such an integral character, I wish we got more of her!
As a white American woman myself, I guess I was supposed to find Justine’s story the most relatable, but that wasn’t the case. I often found her frustrating and self-absorbed. I didn’t feel like she confronted her privilege in any meaningful way.
As for Dounia, a mother struggling with post partum depression and the birth of a daughter in a deeply patriarchal society, I wasn’t the right audience to have sympathy for her after her treatment of Flora. But maybe I would feel differently if I myself had gone through it.
I was a bit confused that every story tied together except Zeinah’s. I enjoyed reading her chapters but was expecting some tie-in as we saw with the other 4 women.
I obviously will be thinking about this book for a long time. It’s a unique, ambitious book that I learned a lot from, and for that, it gets 4 stars from me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2025
The characters were completely unique and utterly captivating. Many had challenging stories to read but it was so well written. With all the small chapters of the different characters, it made the compelling stories easy to fly through!
August 14, 2025
oh boy. this was written beautifully. tragic as fk
Read
September 1, 2025dnf @ 12%.
i will definitely try again at some point; it’s just not for me now.
i will definitely try again at some point; it’s just not for me now.
September 10, 2025
Extraordinary world building. I was wondering more frequently than I have in other fiction books — to what extent this was driven by true events and was glad I read the acknowledgements to learn how much research shaped this book. Depressing, but moving and I loved the way it was written.
August 9, 2025
Gulf follows the lives of five women who are located in—or find their way to—the Arabian Gulf region. A desperately lonely housewife cares for her mother-in-law in a brand new Saudi subdivision. A Filipino woman leaves her daughter behind to seek work abroad after a life-changing tragedy. A museum curator from New York chases her big break in the U.A.E. A Syrian woman becomes a reluctant ISIS bride. And a brave, headstrong Ethiopian teen makes a major decision. In alternating chapters, we follow each woman’s story as their lives brush up against one another in surprising ways.
I really enjoyed this book. Its characters face universal human temptations like loneliness and greed, and sometimes act in massively immoral ways, while still retaining a three-dimensional complexity. This same complexity is seen in the book’s treatment of the region itself. In the chapters set in U.A.E., we see the government control and corruption underlying the extravagant wealth. In Saudi Arabia, we see limited choices for women and the abuse of domestic servants. And yet we also see the beauty of these places and the people who live there. The book does a really good job of not exoticizing or othering the Gulf region while still frankly depicting the problems present there. In the character of the white woman from New York, we see a person who is well-intentioned in her treatment of a runaway worker but ends up making things worse due to her lack of understanding. The attention to the cultural nuances of each of its settings puts this book on another level, while its universally human interpersonal conflicts will feel relatable even to those who’ve never visited the region.
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book! It was a joy to read.
I really enjoyed this book. Its characters face universal human temptations like loneliness and greed, and sometimes act in massively immoral ways, while still retaining a three-dimensional complexity. This same complexity is seen in the book’s treatment of the region itself. In the chapters set in U.A.E., we see the government control and corruption underlying the extravagant wealth. In Saudi Arabia, we see limited choices for women and the abuse of domestic servants. And yet we also see the beauty of these places and the people who live there. The book does a really good job of not exoticizing or othering the Gulf region while still frankly depicting the problems present there. In the character of the white woman from New York, we see a person who is well-intentioned in her treatment of a runaway worker but ends up making things worse due to her lack of understanding. The attention to the cultural nuances of each of its settings puts this book on another level, while its universally human interpersonal conflicts will feel relatable even to those who’ve never visited the region.
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book! It was a joy to read.
September 28, 2025
very intriguing setting, some great character building, and it was cool to see how all the storylines intersected. will say with the multiple rotating perspectives it was kind of hard to keep track of all the voices in the beginning.
June 18, 2025
Shockingly good and deeply sad.
October 16, 2025
I did not anticipate liking it as much as I did!!!
August 10, 2025
What a stunning novel. Gulf is a powerful story that explore the realistic nuances of feminism and how the violence of our systems rooted in racist/imperialist/patriarchal structures can lead to women harming each other. It is a reminder that when we acquire power, it can only be fully realized when it is collective.
I was worried about keeping track of five different characters, but the short chapters meant readers returned to each one quickly, and I found them easy to distinguish. I was especially struck by Zeinah’s story. This is the type of complexity we need when considering groups like ISIS - how they were created, how they attract and/or trap women, etc. I’m grateful for the author’s thoughtful approach toward various difficult subjects as the rotating perspectives and experiences became intertwined.
This is a must read!
I was worried about keeping track of five different characters, but the short chapters meant readers returned to each one quickly, and I found them easy to distinguish. I was especially struck by Zeinah’s story. This is the type of complexity we need when considering groups like ISIS - how they were created, how they attract and/or trap women, etc. I’m grateful for the author’s thoughtful approach toward various difficult subjects as the rotating perspectives and experiences became intertwined.
This is a must read!
April 13, 2025
Powerful and full of strong personalities, this was a gem of a book. There was so much pain and suffering in these pages, but also so much strength and courage. I really enjoyed the multi perspective storytelling and the small way these characters’ lives weaved together. Flora was my particular favourite and I found myself inexplicably drawn to her chapters and story.
The book has a slow plot and trudges along, but this only adds to the sweltering atmosphere. With multiple countries, faiths and upbringings, each of these women have nothing but almost everything in common with their desperation for change. Different to anything I’ve read in a while, this is one that will sit with me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #TheGulf #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The book has a slow plot and trudges along, but this only adds to the sweltering atmosphere. With multiple countries, faiths and upbringings, each of these women have nothing but almost everything in common with their desperation for change. Different to anything I’ve read in a while, this is one that will sit with me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #TheGulf #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
August 3, 2025
“𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.”
Thank you Summit Books for the advanced readers copy via NetGalley and a physical ARC. I find this cover simply stunning. The story? Heavy, but powerful. This one deserves more attention and recognition than it is currently receiving. Note that there is some difficult subject matter, however it is handled in a way that is both gentle yet very honest.
For all my fellow literary lovers, especially when it includes multicultural aspects, this is one to pick up and savor. I went through this significantly slower than my norm but it’s not because I wasn’t interested. It is quite bold and raw in the ways it addresses womanhood, motherhood, religion, class, culture, boundaries, marriage and family, loyalty, purpose, hope, and survival in a dangerous land, literally as well as psychologically, emotionally, socially.
I am blown away that this is a debut but truly by this story. It slowly weaves these five women together yet I never felt the pace itself to be slow, likely because the “chapters” are short, alternating between all five. We witness their fragility as well as their strength; the ways they are forced to compromise in order to survive, and how their circumstances change them, sometimes not for the better. What I also found stunning was the way that Ogrodnik both subtly and blatantly exposes the ways women can either build one another up or be their greatest destroyer. The suspense and tension in this novel, for each of the five women, grew and grew, and Dounia and Flora specifically - oh my heart!
This is one of the most tense and best books I’ve read all year (Summit is 2 for 2 for me this year with their new releases, Maggie is the other!). I was moved, captivated, frustrated, angered, educated, heartbroken, and I know it’ll be one I will revisit again and again. I highly recommend! Content includes loss of children, forced marriage, violence (flogging, public torture, various punishment methods), attempted rape (vague), and suicide.
Thank you Summit Books for the advanced readers copy via NetGalley and a physical ARC. I find this cover simply stunning. The story? Heavy, but powerful. This one deserves more attention and recognition than it is currently receiving. Note that there is some difficult subject matter, however it is handled in a way that is both gentle yet very honest.
For all my fellow literary lovers, especially when it includes multicultural aspects, this is one to pick up and savor. I went through this significantly slower than my norm but it’s not because I wasn’t interested. It is quite bold and raw in the ways it addresses womanhood, motherhood, religion, class, culture, boundaries, marriage and family, loyalty, purpose, hope, and survival in a dangerous land, literally as well as psychologically, emotionally, socially.
I am blown away that this is a debut but truly by this story. It slowly weaves these five women together yet I never felt the pace itself to be slow, likely because the “chapters” are short, alternating between all five. We witness their fragility as well as their strength; the ways they are forced to compromise in order to survive, and how their circumstances change them, sometimes not for the better. What I also found stunning was the way that Ogrodnik both subtly and blatantly exposes the ways women can either build one another up or be their greatest destroyer. The suspense and tension in this novel, for each of the five women, grew and grew, and Dounia and Flora specifically - oh my heart!
This is one of the most tense and best books I’ve read all year (Summit is 2 for 2 for me this year with their new releases, Maggie is the other!). I was moved, captivated, frustrated, angered, educated, heartbroken, and I know it’ll be one I will revisit again and again. I highly recommend! Content includes loss of children, forced marriage, violence (flogging, public torture, various punishment methods), attempted rape (vague), and suicide.
March 11, 2025
With Gulf, Mo Ogrodnik crafts a novel of interwoven fates, hidden power struggles, and the quiet strength of women navigating oppressive systems. Across continents and cultures, five women find themselves bound by circumstance, expectation, and a longing for escape—whether from family, tradition, or the roles imposed upon them.
Dounia, a young Saudi mother, feels isolated and scrutinized within her wealthy husband's family after the birth of her child. Flora, a Filipina domestic worker, seeks a better life in Saudi Arabia, carrying the weight of past grief and a tragedy that claimed her infant’s life. Zeinah, a Syrian woman forced into marriage with a jihadist, is drawn into the ranks of the female morality police, upholding the very restrictions that once confined her. Justine, an American art curator, believes herself to be an outsider to the injustices around her—until she meets Eskedare, an Ethiopian teenager who refuses to accept the future arranged for her.
Though vastly different, their lives intersect in unexpected and profound ways, exposing the social, political, and economic forces that shape—and often limit—women’s choices. Ogrodnik’s writing is both intimate and unflinching, never shying away from the realities of power, privilege, and survival in a region where autonomy is often a privilege, not a right.
Ogrodnik, a filmmaker and writer known for her work exploring women’s experiences in repressive social structures, brings a sharp, cinematic quality to the novel. The storytelling is immersive, the emotions raw, and the characters linger long after the final page.
A novel about alienation, survival, and resilience, Gulf does not offer easy resolutions—but it does offer voices that demand to be heard. Thank you netgalley, I will never forget this story!
#simonschuster #gulf #moogrodnik
Dounia, a young Saudi mother, feels isolated and scrutinized within her wealthy husband's family after the birth of her child. Flora, a Filipina domestic worker, seeks a better life in Saudi Arabia, carrying the weight of past grief and a tragedy that claimed her infant’s life. Zeinah, a Syrian woman forced into marriage with a jihadist, is drawn into the ranks of the female morality police, upholding the very restrictions that once confined her. Justine, an American art curator, believes herself to be an outsider to the injustices around her—until she meets Eskedare, an Ethiopian teenager who refuses to accept the future arranged for her.
Though vastly different, their lives intersect in unexpected and profound ways, exposing the social, political, and economic forces that shape—and often limit—women’s choices. Ogrodnik’s writing is both intimate and unflinching, never shying away from the realities of power, privilege, and survival in a region where autonomy is often a privilege, not a right.
Ogrodnik, a filmmaker and writer known for her work exploring women’s experiences in repressive social structures, brings a sharp, cinematic quality to the novel. The storytelling is immersive, the emotions raw, and the characters linger long after the final page.
A novel about alienation, survival, and resilience, Gulf does not offer easy resolutions—but it does offer voices that demand to be heard. Thank you netgalley, I will never forget this story!
#simonschuster #gulf #moogrodnik
July 17, 2025
3.5 stars
Gulf by Mo Ogrodnik is a powerful novel about the lives of five women from very different backgrounds and their experiences living in the Arabian Gulf. It is not an easy read, as it depicts acts and ideologies of gender inequality with no reserve. It shows the incredibly difficult, and sometimes morally gray decisions that these women make, often because they are forced to, not because they want to, as a result of the unfortunate circumstances they are dealt.
The writing in this novel is poetic, which is an incredible feat considering the difficult topics that are covered. And despite the work being fiction, I learned a lot about the lives of those who live in a region of the world that don't get depicted often.
With that being said, I had a hard time connecting with, and being invested in, a couple of the characters. One of the stories is especially confusing and hard to follow because the woman's background is only explored marginally, and it doesn't make sense as to why she goes to the Gulf in the first place (whereas the reason is more clearly laid out for the other women). I also had a hard time understanding the ending of the novel and comprehending what happened to the women (well all but one). And lastly, a random thing I don't really care for is the multiple mentions of urination sprinkled throughout the book... is there a deeper meaning behind it or is it solely for the shock factor?
But all in all, this book is beautifully written and does a remarkable job shedding some light on multiple marginalized groups.
Special thanks to NetGalley and S&S/Summit Books for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Gulf is available now wherever books are sold.
Gulf by Mo Ogrodnik is a powerful novel about the lives of five women from very different backgrounds and their experiences living in the Arabian Gulf. It is not an easy read, as it depicts acts and ideologies of gender inequality with no reserve. It shows the incredibly difficult, and sometimes morally gray decisions that these women make, often because they are forced to, not because they want to, as a result of the unfortunate circumstances they are dealt.
The writing in this novel is poetic, which is an incredible feat considering the difficult topics that are covered. And despite the work being fiction, I learned a lot about the lives of those who live in a region of the world that don't get depicted often.
With that being said, I had a hard time connecting with, and being invested in, a couple of the characters. One of the stories is especially confusing and hard to follow because the woman's background is only explored marginally, and it doesn't make sense as to why she goes to the Gulf in the first place (whereas the reason is more clearly laid out for the other women). I also had a hard time understanding the ending of the novel and comprehending what happened to the women (well all but one). And lastly, a random thing I don't really care for is the multiple mentions of urination sprinkled throughout the book... is there a deeper meaning behind it or is it solely for the shock factor?
But all in all, this book is beautifully written and does a remarkable job shedding some light on multiple marginalized groups.
Special thanks to NetGalley and S&S/Summit Books for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Gulf is available now wherever books are sold.
May 11, 2025
Gulf is a very apt name for this thought-provoking and hard-hitting novel. Set in the UAE, the title initially points to the region itself, but as the story unfolds, the word Gulf takes on a much deeper meaning. It represents the vast divides explored in this book: between cultures, between social classes, between women, between mothers and children, between the usurped and the usurper. The reader is left to consider which of these gulfs is the most painful, the most unjust.
The novel centers on five fierce women, each fighting for her freedom and agency. They come from different countries, and their paths converge in unexpected, often heartbreaking ways. Their journeys are not easy, and certainly not without peril but what connects them all is resilience. A relentless will to survive.
This was not an easy book to read. As an Indian, I’m familiar with the labor conditions in the Gulf, and some of the cruelty portrayed here is devastating, yet not unfamiliar. The novel doesn’t shy away from depicting these hard truths and it goes even further. Even the morally grey characters are shaped by systems that deny them agency. These women do what they must to survive. So the question remains: why do these gulfs exist in the first place? Aren’t we all human beings? Is it just about power, or something deeper?
A deeply unsettling, powerful read that challenges and lingers long after the last page.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the copy.
CW: This novel contains disturbing content related to abuse, exploitation, and systemic violence, and postpartum depression. Please read with care.
The novel centers on five fierce women, each fighting for her freedom and agency. They come from different countries, and their paths converge in unexpected, often heartbreaking ways. Their journeys are not easy, and certainly not without peril but what connects them all is resilience. A relentless will to survive.
This was not an easy book to read. As an Indian, I’m familiar with the labor conditions in the Gulf, and some of the cruelty portrayed here is devastating, yet not unfamiliar. The novel doesn’t shy away from depicting these hard truths and it goes even further. Even the morally grey characters are shaped by systems that deny them agency. These women do what they must to survive. So the question remains: why do these gulfs exist in the first place? Aren’t we all human beings? Is it just about power, or something deeper?
A deeply unsettling, powerful read that challenges and lingers long after the last page.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the copy.
CW: This novel contains disturbing content related to abuse, exploitation, and systemic violence, and postpartum depression. Please read with care.
May 29, 2025
Gulf is a stunning, emotionally rich novel that pulls you deep into the lives of five women from vastly different backgrounds, all navigating the harsh realities of life in and around the Arabian Gulf. Mo Ogrodnik doesn’t shy away from difficult truths, instead, she writes with sharp clarity and compassion, shedding light on the limitations placed on women in both personal and societal spheres.
Each character’s story feels distinct yet interconnected, tied by the shared struggle for autonomy and survival. Dounia’s quiet desperation within her gilded cage, Flora’s resilience shaped by grief and economic hardship, Zeinah’s internal conflict as both victim and enforcer of a patriarchal system, Justine’s misplaced detachment as an outsider, and Eskedare’s refusal to accept a life predetermined for her—these voices are unforgettable.
What struck me most was how the book captures the push and pull between agency and constraint. Even when these women are surrounded by systems designed to silence or contain them, their choices, whether big or small, carry immense power. Ogrodnik’s prose is cinematic and unvarnished, and she doesn’t offer easy conclusions. Instead, Gulf invites you to sit with discomfort, to reflect, and to truly listen.
This isn’t the kind of book I usually reach for, but I’m so grateful I did. It’s stayed with me long after I finished, so much so that I haven't been able to write my review for this one until a few weeks after.
Lastly, a huge thanks to Summit Books for sending me a copy! thank you!! i loved it!
Each character’s story feels distinct yet interconnected, tied by the shared struggle for autonomy and survival. Dounia’s quiet desperation within her gilded cage, Flora’s resilience shaped by grief and economic hardship, Zeinah’s internal conflict as both victim and enforcer of a patriarchal system, Justine’s misplaced detachment as an outsider, and Eskedare’s refusal to accept a life predetermined for her—these voices are unforgettable.
What struck me most was how the book captures the push and pull between agency and constraint. Even when these women are surrounded by systems designed to silence or contain them, their choices, whether big or small, carry immense power. Ogrodnik’s prose is cinematic and unvarnished, and she doesn’t offer easy conclusions. Instead, Gulf invites you to sit with discomfort, to reflect, and to truly listen.
This isn’t the kind of book I usually reach for, but I’m so grateful I did. It’s stayed with me long after I finished, so much so that I haven't been able to write my review for this one until a few weeks after.
Lastly, a huge thanks to Summit Books for sending me a copy! thank you!! i loved it!
June 12, 2025
(Actual: 4.5⭐, rounded up) Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher(s) for the advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review &/or promotion.
A propulsive, page-turner of a read following several different women - of varying nationalities and socioeconomic backgrounds - as they make their way through and in the Gulf/Middle East, with one of the overarching themes being how resilient women are and that, regardless of any circumstances life or society may throw our way, we will do whatever we must in order to survive & thrive in this world. I found the narrative structure of this book to be quite interesting, as well as its use of multiple/alternating POVs (and, technically, timelines). I think Ogrodnik did a stellar job at weaving all of the different plotlines together in really unique, at times subtle, but overall just generally fascinating ways. And while I did latch on/relate to some of the women moreso than others, I still left feeling like I got a very well-written & well-developed sense/understanding of who they ALL were as individuals, the struggles they faced, and the journeys they each went on. While there is no shortage of heartbreaking moments here, it also isn't a story that's primarily defined by tragedy or suffering either. This book is great for those who love deep character studies, richly vivid prose, and stories that are ultimately realistic in their portrayal of everyday lives we might otherwise overlook.
A propulsive, page-turner of a read following several different women - of varying nationalities and socioeconomic backgrounds - as they make their way through and in the Gulf/Middle East, with one of the overarching themes being how resilient women are and that, regardless of any circumstances life or society may throw our way, we will do whatever we must in order to survive & thrive in this world. I found the narrative structure of this book to be quite interesting, as well as its use of multiple/alternating POVs (and, technically, timelines). I think Ogrodnik did a stellar job at weaving all of the different plotlines together in really unique, at times subtle, but overall just generally fascinating ways. And while I did latch on/relate to some of the women moreso than others, I still left feeling like I got a very well-written & well-developed sense/understanding of who they ALL were as individuals, the struggles they faced, and the journeys they each went on. While there is no shortage of heartbreaking moments here, it also isn't a story that's primarily defined by tragedy or suffering either. This book is great for those who love deep character studies, richly vivid prose, and stories that are ultimately realistic in their portrayal of everyday lives we might otherwise overlook.
May 13, 2025
“Gulf” is an intense, beautifully written debut that shines an unflinching light on the hidden lives of women in the Arabian Gulf. Mo Ogrodnik skillfully brings together five women from vastly different backgrounds, each struggling to carve out their place in a world that often denies them control over their own lives. The interconnected narratives reveal a tapestry of cruelty, rebellion, resilience, and above all—hope.
Ogrodnik’s writing is both cinematic and heartbreaking. She captures the emotional weight of each woman’s experience without ever veering into melodrama. The short, alternating chapters keep the pace brisk, yet the depth of the characters makes their stories linger long after the final page.
Though some sections are undeniably bleak and difficult to read, that’s part of what makes “Gulf” so impactful. It forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths about privilege, oppression, and survival in a region often romanticized for its wealth and modernity.
If I had one critique, it’s that the relentless heaviness can make the book feel emotionally exhausting at times. Still, this is a necessary, thought-provoking read that offers no easy answers—only raw, honest storytelling that leaves you changed.
Highly recommended for readers looking for a powerful, eye-opening novel that gives voice to stories too often silenced.
Ogrodnik’s writing is both cinematic and heartbreaking. She captures the emotional weight of each woman’s experience without ever veering into melodrama. The short, alternating chapters keep the pace brisk, yet the depth of the characters makes their stories linger long after the final page.
Though some sections are undeniably bleak and difficult to read, that’s part of what makes “Gulf” so impactful. It forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths about privilege, oppression, and survival in a region often romanticized for its wealth and modernity.
If I had one critique, it’s that the relentless heaviness can make the book feel emotionally exhausting at times. Still, this is a necessary, thought-provoking read that offers no easy answers—only raw, honest storytelling that leaves you changed.
Highly recommended for readers looking for a powerful, eye-opening novel that gives voice to stories too often silenced.
May 2, 2025
A beautifully written tragic novel about five diverse women living in the Gulf with tendrils that connect them. Flora loses almost everything in a horrible storm in her native Philippines and so opts to take a job in Saudi Arabia where she's assigned to Dounia, a new mother who is miserable with her life and struggling with post partum depression. Zeinah's father arranges a marriage to a Jihadi in an effort to keep the family safe in Raffah. She joins the female morality police first to occupy her time but then becomes one of them. Justine, an American art curator who has been hired to stage an exhibit about falcons, is struggling in her marriage and then a split second decision changes everything when she rescues Eskedare, a young woman from Ethiopia, from the middle of the road. This amps up- the tension in each woman's life rises and you'll feel. It might seem like a simple story (or five stories) when you begin but this is layered and thoughtful in a way you might not expect. It was a page turner for me as I cared about each woman, even Dounia who spins into, well, no spoilers. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a terrific read and one more than worthy of your time and attention.
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