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Floodlines
Not yet published
Expected 24 Feb 26- GenresFictionLiterary Fiction
336 pages, Paperback
Expected publication February 24, 2026
384 people want to read
About the author
Saleem Haddad
9 books287 followersSaleem Haddad was born in Kuwait City to an Iraqi-German mother and a Palestinian-Lebanese father.
His first novel, Guapa, was published in 2016, receiving critical acclaim from The New Yorker, The Guardian, and others, and was awarded both a Stonewall Honour and the 2017 Polari First Book Prize.
He has also published a number of short stories, including for the Palestinian sci-fi anthology Palestine +100. He also writes for film and television; his directorial debut, Marco, premiered in March 2019 and was nominated for the 2019 Iris Prize for ‘Best British Short Film’. His work has been supported by institutions such as Yaddo and the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin.
He is currently based in Lisbon, with roots in London, Amman, and Beirut
His first novel, Guapa, was published in 2016, receiving critical acclaim from The New Yorker, The Guardian, and others, and was awarded both a Stonewall Honour and the 2017 Polari First Book Prize.
He has also published a number of short stories, including for the Palestinian sci-fi anthology Palestine +100. He also writes for film and television; his directorial debut, Marco, premiered in March 2019 and was nominated for the 2019 Iris Prize for ‘Best British Short Film’. His work has been supported by institutions such as Yaddo and the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin.
He is currently based in Lisbon, with roots in London, Amman, and Beirut
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A multi-generational novel, Floodlines mainly focuses on the turbulent relationship between three Iraqi-British sisters (Ishtar, Zainab, and Mediha) as they navigate displacement, war, violence, love, family secrets, and more throughout their lives.
This is one the best books I’ve ever read! It is so beautifully written and powerfully haunting in its descriptions. The book opens with the perspective of Nizar, the son of Zainab. He is a war journalist living in London, but has recently started doing sex work. Through his pov, we come to understand how his past and his identity have shaped his relationships. A lot of his pov is him reflecting on his past relationship with a man named Alfie. These moments were really heartbreaking to read, evident through Nizar’s own fervent heartbreak.
Throughout the book we also get Zainab’s and Ishtar’s perspectives, as well as their mother’s, Bridget’s. In all these povs, we come to understand the family better and how each perspective tells the same story but with different perceptions and feelings. I thought this was so well done and I was really invested in each character’s thoughts and memories. I also loved the descriptions of Baghdad. So many of the character’s thoughts are them reflecting on how they remember Baghdad; the streets they walked, the places they lived, the jobs they went to. Later, they reflect on its many changes, both known and unknown; how wars, foreign intervention, and colonialism have changed the landscapes of not just Baghdad, but Iraq as a whole. The perfect way to describe this novel would be “nostalgia.” And while the characters are nostalgic of the past, they are also running away from it.
In general, I loved the story, and I loved the characters, even though they could be frustrating at times (one in particular made me angry). Haddad did an amazing job at representing both the good and bad parts of them. These characters are not perfect; they have made mistakes and hurt others. Life is complex and people contain multitudes and I love when books tackle that unflinchingly, which is what Floodlines does.
This is truly a wonderful book and I’m so grateful to have gotten an ARC for it (thank you Europa Press and Netgalley)! Floodlines releases February 12! 🩷
This is one the best books I’ve ever read! It is so beautifully written and powerfully haunting in its descriptions. The book opens with the perspective of Nizar, the son of Zainab. He is a war journalist living in London, but has recently started doing sex work. Through his pov, we come to understand how his past and his identity have shaped his relationships. A lot of his pov is him reflecting on his past relationship with a man named Alfie. These moments were really heartbreaking to read, evident through Nizar’s own fervent heartbreak.
Throughout the book we also get Zainab’s and Ishtar’s perspectives, as well as their mother’s, Bridget’s. In all these povs, we come to understand the family better and how each perspective tells the same story but with different perceptions and feelings. I thought this was so well done and I was really invested in each character’s thoughts and memories. I also loved the descriptions of Baghdad. So many of the character’s thoughts are them reflecting on how they remember Baghdad; the streets they walked, the places they lived, the jobs they went to. Later, they reflect on its many changes, both known and unknown; how wars, foreign intervention, and colonialism have changed the landscapes of not just Baghdad, but Iraq as a whole. The perfect way to describe this novel would be “nostalgia.” And while the characters are nostalgic of the past, they are also running away from it.
In general, I loved the story, and I loved the characters, even though they could be frustrating at times (one in particular made me angry). Haddad did an amazing job at representing both the good and bad parts of them. These characters are not perfect; they have made mistakes and hurt others. Life is complex and people contain multitudes and I love when books tackle that unflinchingly, which is what Floodlines does.
This is truly a wonderful book and I’m so grateful to have gotten an ARC for it (thank you Europa Press and Netgalley)! Floodlines releases February 12! 🩷
Review of advance copy
Floodlines is exceptional at what it sets out to do. At first, I had the uneasy sense that the novel was attempting to hold too many themes at once. That impression doesn’t last long. As the narrative develops, the novel’s structure reveals itself as careful rather than crowded, with each theme reinforcing the others instead of competing for attention.
What I loved most was the novel’s treatment of time. Some pages blur the present with the past, memory with conversation, and reality with voices that are no longer physically there. Bridget’s old age and the gradual erosion of her memories create a deeply affecting portrayal of what it means to age, to lose not only people but also one’s grip on linear time itself. Time in Floodlines is not stable or orderly. It folds in on itself, just as it does in memory and grief.
Saleem Haddad writes characters who are charismatic, forceful, and emotionally charged, yet never feel artificial. Even at their most intense, they remain grounded and recognizably human. Their contradictions are allowed to exist without explanation or apology, which only makes them feel more authentic.
The Epic of Gilgamesh plays a key role in the novel, acting as both a thematic anchor and a quiet echo running beneath the narrative. I strongly recommend reading it either before or after Floodlines, as it adds another layer of resonance, particularly around loss, legacy, and the human desire to outlast time.
Overall, Floodlines showcases some of the strongest writing I’ve read in a long time. It balances an impressive range of themes, family, heritage, queerness, memory, and politics, without ever feeling scattered. Instead, it feels purposeful, controlled, and deeply confident in its own complexity.
What I loved most was the novel’s treatment of time. Some pages blur the present with the past, memory with conversation, and reality with voices that are no longer physically there. Bridget’s old age and the gradual erosion of her memories create a deeply affecting portrayal of what it means to age, to lose not only people but also one’s grip on linear time itself. Time in Floodlines is not stable or orderly. It folds in on itself, just as it does in memory and grief.
Saleem Haddad writes characters who are charismatic, forceful, and emotionally charged, yet never feel artificial. Even at their most intense, they remain grounded and recognizably human. Their contradictions are allowed to exist without explanation or apology, which only makes them feel more authentic.
The Epic of Gilgamesh plays a key role in the novel, acting as both a thematic anchor and a quiet echo running beneath the narrative. I strongly recommend reading it either before or after Floodlines, as it adds another layer of resonance, particularly around loss, legacy, and the human desire to outlast time.
Overall, Floodlines showcases some of the strongest writing I’ve read in a long time. It balances an impressive range of themes, family, heritage, queerness, memory, and politics, without ever feeling scattered. Instead, it feels purposeful, controlled, and deeply confident in its own complexity.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
lyrical, interesting work of literary fiction with some good plotting and good characters. the trio of sisters and one's son are all really interesting POVs and it was great to review. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.
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January 30, 2026Amazing. Full video review coming soon.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews