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Alligator and Other Stories
The award-winning stories in Dima Alzayat’s collection are luminous and tender, whether dealing with a woman performing burial rites for her brother in “Ghusl,” or a great-aunt struggling to explain cultural identity to her niece in “Once We Were Syrians.”
Alzayat’s stories are rich and relatable, chronicling a sense of displacement through everyday scenarios. There is the intern in pre-#MeToo Hollywood of “Only Those Who Struggle Succeed,” the New York City children on the lookout for a place to play on the heels of Etan Patz’s kidnapping in “Disappearance,” and the “dangerous” women of “Daughters of Manāt” who struggle to assert their independence.
The title story, “Alligator,” is a masterpiece of historical reconstruction and intergenerational trauma, told in an epistolary format through social media posts, newspaper clippings, and testimonials, that starts with the true story of the lynching of a Syrian immigrant couple by law officers in small-town Florida. Placed in a wider context of U.S. racial violence, the extrajudicial deaths, and what happens to the couple’s children and their children’s children in the years after, challenges the demands of American assimilation and its limits.
Alligator and Other Stories is haunting, spellbinding, and unforgettable, while marking Dima Alzayat’s arrival as a tremendously gifted new talent.
Alzayat’s stories are rich and relatable, chronicling a sense of displacement through everyday scenarios. There is the intern in pre-#MeToo Hollywood of “Only Those Who Struggle Succeed,” the New York City children on the lookout for a place to play on the heels of Etan Patz’s kidnapping in “Disappearance,” and the “dangerous” women of “Daughters of Manāt” who struggle to assert their independence.
The title story, “Alligator,” is a masterpiece of historical reconstruction and intergenerational trauma, told in an epistolary format through social media posts, newspaper clippings, and testimonials, that starts with the true story of the lynching of a Syrian immigrant couple by law officers in small-town Florida. Placed in a wider context of U.S. racial violence, the extrajudicial deaths, and what happens to the couple’s children and their children’s children in the years after, challenges the demands of American assimilation and its limits.
Alligator and Other Stories is haunting, spellbinding, and unforgettable, while marking Dima Alzayat’s arrival as a tremendously gifted new talent.
206 pages, Paperback
First published May 29, 2020
35 people are currently reading
2238 people want to read
About the author
Dima Alzayat
3 books42 followersDima Alzayat was born in Damascus, Syria, and grew up in San Jose, California. Her short story collection, Alligator and Other Stories (2020), was published by Two Dollar Radio (U.S.) and Picador (U.K.), and has been shortlisted for the 2021 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Award for Debut Short Story Collection, the 2021 Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize, and the 2021 James Tait Black Memorial Prize.
She is the winner of the 2019 ALCS Tom-Gallon Trust Award, a 2018 Northern Writers’ Award, the 2017 Bristol Short Story Prize, the 2015 Bernice Slote Award, runner-up in the 2018 Deborah Rogers Award and the 2018 Zoetrope: All-Story Competition, and was Highly Commended in the 2013 Bridport Prize.
Her stories have appeared in Esquire, The Adroit Journal, Prairie Schooner, Bristol Short Story Award Anthology, Bridport Prize Anthology, and Enizagam. Her short story ‘In the Land of Kan’an’ was included in artist Jenny Holzer’s 2017 projection For Aarhus and was part of Holzer’s 2017 exhibition at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.
She is the winner of the 2019 ALCS Tom-Gallon Trust Award, a 2018 Northern Writers’ Award, the 2017 Bristol Short Story Prize, the 2015 Bernice Slote Award, runner-up in the 2018 Deborah Rogers Award and the 2018 Zoetrope: All-Story Competition, and was Highly Commended in the 2013 Bridport Prize.
Her stories have appeared in Esquire, The Adroit Journal, Prairie Schooner, Bristol Short Story Award Anthology, Bridport Prize Anthology, and Enizagam. Her short story ‘In the Land of Kan’an’ was included in artist Jenny Holzer’s 2017 projection For Aarhus and was part of Holzer’s 2017 exhibition at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
July 22, 2020
I love the range of the stories here. The title story is outstanding as is the opening story. I look forward to reading more from Alzayat.
July 5, 2023
4.5
This short-story collection is another great publication by Two Dollar Press.
Each story includes at least one character of Syrian descent, or of Syrian birth (as is the author). The collection opens with "Ghusl," a story of ritual washing, a sister having to take on the task forbidden to women for men. An impressionistic story, “Daughters of Manāt,” told through the lens of a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess (that info provided by wiki), shows three generations of women striving for independence in their lives. In other stories men who struggle to find their independence within their traditions, whether Muslim or Christian, deny their true selves; the women understand.
The story of boys cooped inside their NYC apartment building during the time of Etan Patz’s disappearance is an evocative story of the time period, and of childhood. “Only Those Who Struggle Succeed” details one woman’s experience of corporate-wide sexual assault and coercion. Though it’s perfectly written, at times I wished for it to be less dispassionate; but after it living in my head for a couple of days, I think I understand why it’s written as it is.
Along with the story “Once We Were Syrians,” the title story is an illustration of the effects of past historical and personal trauma upon later generations. Informed by the nonfictional lynching of a Syrian couple in 1929 by small-town Florida policemen, “Alligator” weaves together newspaper articles of not only this event, but accounts of the 19th-century massacres of Native American tribes and early-20th-century lynchings of Black residents in the same area. The fictional sections are written in several styles: interviews; court trial transcripts; message-board posts; emails. The thoughts of the Syrian couple’s brother (-in-law), their now-elderly children, and a grown grandchild are often directed toward the ghosts haunting the survivors. The trauma experienced by this particular family belongs to them, but also stands for others.
This short-story collection is another great publication by Two Dollar Press.
Each story includes at least one character of Syrian descent, or of Syrian birth (as is the author). The collection opens with "Ghusl," a story of ritual washing, a sister having to take on the task forbidden to women for men. An impressionistic story, “Daughters of Manāt,” told through the lens of a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess (that info provided by wiki), shows three generations of women striving for independence in their lives. In other stories men who struggle to find their independence within their traditions, whether Muslim or Christian, deny their true selves; the women understand.
The story of boys cooped inside their NYC apartment building during the time of Etan Patz’s disappearance is an evocative story of the time period, and of childhood. “Only Those Who Struggle Succeed” details one woman’s experience of corporate-wide sexual assault and coercion. Though it’s perfectly written, at times I wished for it to be less dispassionate; but after it living in my head for a couple of days, I think I understand why it’s written as it is.
Along with the story “Once We Were Syrians,” the title story is an illustration of the effects of past historical and personal trauma upon later generations. Informed by the nonfictional lynching of a Syrian couple in 1929 by small-town Florida policemen, “Alligator” weaves together newspaper articles of not only this event, but accounts of the 19th-century massacres of Native American tribes and early-20th-century lynchings of Black residents in the same area. The fictional sections are written in several styles: interviews; court trial transcripts; message-board posts; emails. The thoughts of the Syrian couple’s brother (-in-law), their now-elderly children, and a grown grandchild are often directed toward the ghosts haunting the survivors. The trauma experienced by this particular family belongs to them, but also stands for others.
May 11, 2020
Dima Alzayat was born in Syria, raised in the US, and now lives in the UK. This set of stories speak to the Syrian experience inside history and violence but also in small ways - generational tension that comes from children growing up in a different culture from parents and grandparents, and so on. The title story goes back to a lynching of a Syrian couple in Florida and is told in artifacts like newspaper clippings, etc.
This collection comes out from Two Dollar Radio on May 29; they sent me a copy for review.
This collection comes out from Two Dollar Radio on May 29; they sent me a copy for review.
May 14, 2021
so good. a swiss army knife of a collection, with a mixture of styles and stories that dima alzayat executes beautifully.
RTC
RTC
April 22, 2021
Fantastic collection. Loved how Alzayat adopted a new writing style for each story. A real talent!!
May 6, 2022
An inventive and exciting debut story collection. Each one is told in a different style and tone. I appreciated Alzayat's pacing and slow reveals - it really added to the gravity of the work.
Stories vary in time and place, but two that will stay with me are office/workplace stories ("Only Those Who Struggle Succeed" and "Summer of the Shark") interestingly enough. A seemingly mundane place that many of us spend our lives, but Alzayat twists and turns in some intriguing ways.
The "Alligator" title story is told with mixed media and oral histories, and a long-view look at Indigenous and immigrant lives and violence in south Florida over centuries.
Stories vary in time and place, but two that will stay with me are office/workplace stories ("Only Those Who Struggle Succeed" and "Summer of the Shark") interestingly enough. A seemingly mundane place that many of us spend our lives, but Alzayat twists and turns in some intriguing ways.
The "Alligator" title story is told with mixed media and oral histories, and a long-view look at Indigenous and immigrant lives and violence in south Florida over centuries.
November 24, 2021
I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. I loved the title, that’s what drew me to this book. This had one of the best short stories called Alligator, about the lynching of a Syrian couple, this story is good through reportage style, with news clippings, interviews, scripts and plays. It shows the racial injustices and brutality in America and how that trauma is passed down through generations. This collection is very well written that focuses on the Syrian experience, exploring racial violence, grief, and intergeneration trauma. I highly recommend this book of short stories.
‘Everyone said to bear the years. Nothing but time will make it better, they said. But time's a stretched rubber band bound to snap right back into place.’
‘Everyone said to bear the years. Nothing but time will make it better, they said. But time's a stretched rubber band bound to snap right back into place.’
January 18, 2022
A wonderfully original short story collection centred around Arab American lives in America. Stories touch on violence against women, racism, historical injustices against indigenous people, and interestingly and implicating several parties - a twist perhaps in the understanding of one of the ways the lives of Black and Indigenous people have historically intersected in the US. There's particular focus on the lives of Syrians in America, thought-provoking consideration of queer Arab American lives, a story on the 'me too' movement, and sexual abuse in the workplace. I love the story of the brazen aunt. However, what stands out most to me is the beautiful, almost poignant depiction of Islam and the care infused around Islamic rites and rituals. The titular story Alligator is a challenging one to pull off, yet, I enjoyed its use of articles and materials from the archive and how easily it blurs the line between the past and present yet creates something original and striking.
A disarmingly varied collection; Alzayat's use of language and imagery is vivid and caustic at times but balances this out by being non-judgmental and tender. I love how much detail there is, and its inventive use of style and structure is inventive which feels like a necessary part of the stories.
A solid debut.
A disarmingly varied collection; Alzayat's use of language and imagery is vivid and caustic at times but balances this out by being non-judgmental and tender. I love how much detail there is, and its inventive use of style and structure is inventive which feels like a necessary part of the stories.
A solid debut.
August 12, 2020
"There used to be a time when our names mattered, when being Syrian meant somthing else. Turn that off. They could count us like grains of rice. I cannot bear it. Come closer."
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Thoughts~
Two Dollar Radio has done it again! I have yet to read something they have published and not absolutely love it!
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Alligator and Other Stories is a haunting collection of stories that focus on the Syrian experience. Showcasing the violence, grief, intergenerational trauma and cultural differences through generations. The title story Alligator is a outstanding! About the lynching of a Syrian couple in Florida. Told through reportage style, it reveals the racial injustice and brutality in America and how that carries through to future generations. One of the best short stories I have ever read! The other stories are excellent also. Alzayat has a wonderfully unique writing style with stirring prose. The way she unified these stories that all had such a different scope is pure talent! I can't wait to read more from her.
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Thank You to the publisher for sending me this book opinions are my own.
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For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
•
Thoughts~
Two Dollar Radio has done it again! I have yet to read something they have published and not absolutely love it!
•
Alligator and Other Stories is a haunting collection of stories that focus on the Syrian experience. Showcasing the violence, grief, intergenerational trauma and cultural differences through generations. The title story Alligator is a outstanding! About the lynching of a Syrian couple in Florida. Told through reportage style, it reveals the racial injustice and brutality in America and how that carries through to future generations. One of the best short stories I have ever read! The other stories are excellent also. Alzayat has a wonderfully unique writing style with stirring prose. The way she unified these stories that all had such a different scope is pure talent! I can't wait to read more from her.
•
Thank You to the publisher for sending me this book opinions are my own.
•
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
Read
August 28, 2021Alzayat is able to juxtapose a wide variety of styles, including the blending of fact and fiction in the brilliant ‘Alligator’, where the story of the murder of a Syrian couple in 1920’s America coalesces with wider stories of repression and violence inflicted on African-Americans and Native Americans in America, slowly reaching its crescendo via a combination on newspaper articles, letter and e-mails, as the deep seated racism inherent in American society since its inception is exposed. Even the story itself, which Alzayat discovered in an old newspaper article, is an act of reimagining by Alzayat as she explores the motivations of the people involved in the lynching of the husband and shooting of the wife, from the hubris of the police, to the vitriol of the mob and the disorientation of the couple as they are overtaken by a whirlwind of violence whose origin they can scare comprehend, having considered themselves to be ‘White’.
Indeed the feeling of disenfranchisement and dislocation runs through the stories in this collection, from the young intern who is sexually exploited at work and made to suffer in silence, to the teenage girl whose life is turned upside down by the sudden death of her father in ‘A Girl in Three Acts’, or the gay man whose arranged marriage exposes his feelings of disaffection in ‘In The Land of Kanan’. Within all of the different narrative styles Alzayat adopts, she is able to interweave a sense of empathy and understanding for her characters, as she fills each story with small, almost imperceptible details which give her characters a sense of depth. ‘Alligator and Other Stories’ is a brilliant exercise of literary styles and one of the most original collection of short stories of recent years.
Indeed the feeling of disenfranchisement and dislocation runs through the stories in this collection, from the young intern who is sexually exploited at work and made to suffer in silence, to the teenage girl whose life is turned upside down by the sudden death of her father in ‘A Girl in Three Acts’, or the gay man whose arranged marriage exposes his feelings of disaffection in ‘In The Land of Kanan’. Within all of the different narrative styles Alzayat adopts, she is able to interweave a sense of empathy and understanding for her characters, as she fills each story with small, almost imperceptible details which give her characters a sense of depth. ‘Alligator and Other Stories’ is a brilliant exercise of literary styles and one of the most original collection of short stories of recent years.
March 4, 2022
I felt rather mixed on this collection. I thought all of them were strongly written, but some grabbed my attention better than others. My favorite of the group was the highlighted story "Alligator", which was powerful, impactful, and gripping. It was also the longest story, told in an epistolary format which only further demonstrated the creativity but also longevity of the racial violence and generational trauma the story sought to highlight. The switch between narrated thought, articles, transcriptions, emails, and social media posts ranging from the 1930s to present day America rolled out the carpet of racial violence and white supremacy as a foundation of law enforcement and American values, while also showcasing the horror inflicted on families and how it is carried throughout the lives of those affected and generations. I thought it was both moving, emotional, and extremely poignant, it forces the reader to really understand how deeply cemented into the bedrock of America racial inequality and violence truly is, while painting an unflinching picture of what it has perpetrated over centuries. It was hard to put down, but also hard on the soul to read.
The other stories were equally as written, but in my opinion, don't compare to "Alligator". Although they focus on different aspects of struggles faced by immigrants from Middle Eastern countries. All were well thought out, strong, and I enjoyed their focus on women.
The other stories were equally as written, but in my opinion, don't compare to "Alligator". Although they focus on different aspects of struggles faced by immigrants from Middle Eastern countries. All were well thought out, strong, and I enjoyed their focus on women.
November 23, 2023
"Watching the assistant, Lina’s fretfulness dissipated, and she began to see that she was not intended to succeed on terms other than the ones now spread out before her. She wondered if perhaps this path had been, despite her oblivion, clearly signposted, and whether if she had only looked down and around, instead of directly ahead, she might have seen the signs. Of this, however, she was to remain unconvinced, and she became increasingly sure the signs, while present, were never meant to be seen."
September 24, 2020
This book is so good! Might be the best fiction (maybe book in general) I've read this year. The title story is unlike anything I've read before, and the rest are also excellent.
November 18, 2020
This is such a beautiful collection of stories, although haunting and more than a little harrowing. Alzayat's prose is gorgeous and each story is its own world in miniature. I probably loved the title story the least; it's multi-media experiment was thought-provoking but I didn't find it emotionally engaging in the ways her other stories were. I really enjoyed this.
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March 22, 2020I love how the style of Alzayat’s prose changes with the subject matter of the story she’s writing. In “Ghusl”, it’s haunting and poetic, as the main character performs a ritual over her brother’s dead body. In “Only Those Who Struggle Succeed”, Alzayat strips back her prose as she details the horrendous acts of sexism that Lina has to endure during her fight up the corporate ladder. In the titular story, “Alligator”, Alzayat uses a mixed media style, combining historical documents and social media posts with memories told through streams-of-consciousness and poetry. Stories this diverse in style may seem like they wouldn’t fit together, but Alzayat, with skill and intelligence, finds a way to unify them. Each story is so different, and yet there is a connecting thread of empathy that pulses throughout, giving the collection a heart that is, perhaps, bigger than this world deserves.
August 8, 2021
The Syrian experience leaps off the page in this richly varied collection of short stories.
Dima Alzayat takes us way beyond what we see on our tv screens and rewards us with some wonderful writing and often disturbing insights and incidents. Most powerful in content and original in form, is ‘Alligator’, starting with the shockingly brutal lynching many years ago of an immigrant Syrian couple in Florida to the subsequent experiences of generation after generation. She uses a vast range of public and private forms to reflect the changing times and bewildering attitudes.
In contrast, in ‘Ghsul’ we are given the privilege of observing the quiet, intimate and tender ritual of preparing the body of a relative for his funeral.
Women get their voice, children find a way of bending the rules. It’s all there.
Super collection.
Dima Alzayat takes us way beyond what we see on our tv screens and rewards us with some wonderful writing and often disturbing insights and incidents. Most powerful in content and original in form, is ‘Alligator’, starting with the shockingly brutal lynching many years ago of an immigrant Syrian couple in Florida to the subsequent experiences of generation after generation. She uses a vast range of public and private forms to reflect the changing times and bewildering attitudes.
In contrast, in ‘Ghsul’ we are given the privilege of observing the quiet, intimate and tender ritual of preparing the body of a relative for his funeral.
Women get their voice, children find a way of bending the rules. It’s all there.
Super collection.
September 13, 2025
I absolutely love the range of stories presented especially with how relatable most of them were. As a syrian immigrant myself Dima describes syrian immigration perfectly from all aspects, leaving your home country behind, leaving relatives behind, growing up in a country where your never truly accepted for what you are. Each chapter had its own style of writing and narrating which made me enjoy the book even more. My favorites out of the nine stories were, Once We Were Syrians and Only Those Who struggle Succeed, as both mainly took focus of issues taken lightly by society. My least favorite ironically enough is Alligator, the main story of the book, I found it really messy and confusing I ended up losing track of the chapters n the storyline at some point, regardless of that this was a very enjoyable n relatable read.
December 9, 2023
I enjoyed almost all of the stories except for Alligator — which was admittedly, eye opening in terms of race relations in America, but ultimately disappointing.
I liked the experimental mode many of the stories took on , even Alligator that I didn’t like as much. The Syrian-in-Diaspora experience was quite visible even when I felt like Alzayat ensured to not limit her characters to just Syrians — I appreciated that.
Also really love the gentleness with which she describes various Islamic rituals, even janazah, 👌🏾
Full review: https://www.newarab.com/features/expe...
I liked the experimental mode many of the stories took on , even Alligator that I didn’t like as much. The Syrian-in-Diaspora experience was quite visible even when I felt like Alzayat ensured to not limit her characters to just Syrians — I appreciated that.
Also really love the gentleness with which she describes various Islamic rituals, even janazah, 👌🏾
Full review: https://www.newarab.com/features/expe...
March 10, 2025
Alzayat's debut collection is well worth making the time for.
With confidence and a sweeping, fluid voice Alzayat crafts a potrait of the modern Syrian woman expat. The collection explores legacy, culture when displaced from its land, the rituals of Islam surrounding death, worship, clealiness. And it doesn't shy away from exploring the identity of women pre-Islam in Syria too.
The second story in particular, Daughters of Manat, explores the different facets of being a woman in modern Syrian culture. Manat was a pre-Islamic goddess of fate. This entry is vignettes about Zaynab the aunt, the protagonist, and her grandmother at various milestones in their lives. A lot is centered on despair at their lot and relationships with men. On her grandmother: "She knew how to measure the value of her life and still rise."
The one story I didn't get on with was the title piece. Whilst it's a journalistic achievement and conveys its message of chronic US NIMBYism well, it's a little bit of a chore to read after a while.
I cannot recommend this collection enough.
Unexpectedly, this book isn't wallowing in grief for its people, nor is it bitter in its well-placed frustration. Instead, I loved reading this for its sense of displacement and the absolutely killer writing.
Can't wait to see where Alzayat goes next. My hope is another office drama because she's such a great character writer.
With confidence and a sweeping, fluid voice Alzayat crafts a potrait of the modern Syrian woman expat. The collection explores legacy, culture when displaced from its land, the rituals of Islam surrounding death, worship, clealiness. And it doesn't shy away from exploring the identity of women pre-Islam in Syria too.
The second story in particular, Daughters of Manat, explores the different facets of being a woman in modern Syrian culture. Manat was a pre-Islamic goddess of fate. This entry is vignettes about Zaynab the aunt, the protagonist, and her grandmother at various milestones in their lives. A lot is centered on despair at their lot and relationships with men. On her grandmother: "She knew how to measure the value of her life and still rise."
The one story I didn't get on with was the title piece. Whilst it's a journalistic achievement and conveys its message of chronic US NIMBYism well, it's a little bit of a chore to read after a while.
I cannot recommend this collection enough.
Unexpectedly, this book isn't wallowing in grief for its people, nor is it bitter in its well-placed frustration. Instead, I loved reading this for its sense of displacement and the absolutely killer writing.
Can't wait to see where Alzayat goes next. My hope is another office drama because she's such a great character writer.
May 21, 2020
3.5/5
This had a really strong start. Ghusl had me crying with its intricacies and beautiful detailing. I generally liked most of the stories. However, as with most anthologies I read, I lost interest in the title story, Alligator. It had an important discussion and message, used real newspaper clippings and stories in a different format. However, aside from one story after this that focused on 9/11, I lost interest. That being said, Alzayat has such an amazing talent in her ability to tell a story as though she's weaving a tapestry meant for royalty. I appreciated the representation within it and think this can be classed as an Own Voices anthology.
Trigger warnings: suicide, death, adultery, physical abuse, suffering a stroke, forced marriage, kidnapping, rape, police brutality, racism.
Thank you to Picador Macmillan and Netgalley for giving me a e-copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This had a really strong start. Ghusl had me crying with its intricacies and beautiful detailing. I generally liked most of the stories. However, as with most anthologies I read, I lost interest in the title story, Alligator. It had an important discussion and message, used real newspaper clippings and stories in a different format. However, aside from one story after this that focused on 9/11, I lost interest. That being said, Alzayat has such an amazing talent in her ability to tell a story as though she's weaving a tapestry meant for royalty. I appreciated the representation within it and think this can be classed as an Own Voices anthology.
Trigger warnings: suicide, death, adultery, physical abuse, suffering a stroke, forced marriage, kidnapping, rape, police brutality, racism.
Thank you to Picador Macmillan and Netgalley for giving me a e-copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
August 20, 2021
This was an interesting collection, though not a favorite among those I've read recently. It was helpful for my own writing to know that stylistically, not all stories have to be similar to belong in a collection together. There was nice variety here.
The title story, "Alligator" was unique in its experimental nature. It was cool to see how Alzayat pieced together so many different sources and forms to tell this story. At times it seemed like there was too much going on, but I thought it all wove together in a thought provoking manner.
Liked some stories more than others, for sure. "Summer of the Shark" may have been a surprise favorite, Sorry to Bother You vibes with a 9/11 twist at the end.
Strong writing overall, a good reminder that a short story doesn't have to be all about plot or growth or change to be effective or engaging.
The title story, "Alligator" was unique in its experimental nature. It was cool to see how Alzayat pieced together so many different sources and forms to tell this story. At times it seemed like there was too much going on, but I thought it all wove together in a thought provoking manner.
Liked some stories more than others, for sure. "Summer of the Shark" may have been a surprise favorite, Sorry to Bother You vibes with a 9/11 twist at the end.
Strong writing overall, a good reminder that a short story doesn't have to be all about plot or growth or change to be effective or engaging.
May 15, 2021
A short story collection by a Syrian American, features sharp stories of Syrian identity and histories, uprising and the moment of 9/11, loss, displacement from place and family.
Several haunting stories here will surely stay with me - a sister preparing her brother's body for burial, the story from Girl and her losses and sass. The title story is told in unique format, and covers Syrian migration history in the USA, First Nations experiences, lynching and the Civil war.
Several haunting stories here will surely stay with me - a sister preparing her brother's body for burial, the story from Girl and her losses and sass. The title story is told in unique format, and covers Syrian migration history in the USA, First Nations experiences, lynching and the Civil war.
January 30, 2021
3.5 stars
The stories are fast paced, poignant and very well narrated. Think of this like a bunch of Vignettes with the undertones of alienation in a foreign country.
Favourites:
Disappearance
Ghusl
Only those who struggle succeed
The stories are fast paced, poignant and very well narrated. Think of this like a bunch of Vignettes with the undertones of alienation in a foreign country.
Favourites:
Disappearance
Ghusl
Only those who struggle succeed
August 17, 2021
was just talking to a coworker this weekend (sonya, if you're reading this, hi) about how i'm usually pretty ambivalent towards short story collections. but there are a good 4-5 in here that i'm going to be thinking about for a loooong time. certainly read at least two of them more than once this year
August 20, 2021
Another read for the 'How to Read a Novel' course on FutureLearn. There are stories that I really enjoyed, but honestly found the titular one over-long and a little artificial in its structure, not least because of the unpunctuated stream-of-consciousness sections.
June 26, 2021
“Alligator & Other Stories” by Dima Alzayat
This collection of short stories was one of those books I picked up randomly for no reason; it was listed as one of the best of 2020 by our local bookstore (shoutout to Dotters Books in Eau Claire, WI) so I decided to give it a try. Alzayat has created a beautiful collection of stories revolving around grief, loss, and cultural identity. Her voice as a writer is preeminent in each story without overwhelming the individual narrative speakers. Particular standouts for me included “Ghusl,” “Disappearance,” “In the Land of Kan’an,” and “Summer of the Shark.” The title story “Alligator” is also a wonderful piece, but I found it more an intellectual exercise than an engaging one due to the intertextual nature of writing. It was a wonderful story, but less engaging than others.
As a collection the book is cohesive and consistent, perhaps to a minor fault. The themes here resulted in similar tones of each story which at times made it harder to pick up again after each story. I enjoyed them when I was reading, but I never felt compelled to pick up the book later because I already felt I knew what tone or vibe I would get. Still a phenomenal collection well worth a read for anyone who loves short stories or has an interest in cultural performance and narratives.
This collection of short stories was one of those books I picked up randomly for no reason; it was listed as one of the best of 2020 by our local bookstore (shoutout to Dotters Books in Eau Claire, WI) so I decided to give it a try. Alzayat has created a beautiful collection of stories revolving around grief, loss, and cultural identity. Her voice as a writer is preeminent in each story without overwhelming the individual narrative speakers. Particular standouts for me included “Ghusl,” “Disappearance,” “In the Land of Kan’an,” and “Summer of the Shark.” The title story “Alligator” is also a wonderful piece, but I found it more an intellectual exercise than an engaging one due to the intertextual nature of writing. It was a wonderful story, but less engaging than others.
As a collection the book is cohesive and consistent, perhaps to a minor fault. The themes here resulted in similar tones of each story which at times made it harder to pick up again after each story. I enjoyed them when I was reading, but I never felt compelled to pick up the book later because I already felt I knew what tone or vibe I would get. Still a phenomenal collection well worth a read for anyone who loves short stories or has an interest in cultural performance and narratives.
August 1, 2020
Cue cheesy AF quote: 🐊 A short story is like a holiday fling: we know it won’t last but we just don’t care🐊 (atleast I didn’t say live laugh love, huh? 🧐😂) I love short stories: the miniature universes created in around 15 pages and how every word counts. It takes skillz to condense a narrative into short form but still make it resonate the same way a 300+ page book will. Dims Alzayat manages all of this with ease, I read this short story collection slowly and then fast because each story gripped me, they were haunting and illustrated displacement and ‘other’ through the eyes of Syrian women in America which gives each story a real heartbeat: I cared for each character so much. The first set the tone BIG TIME, it was a poetic tribute to a brothers life cut short told intimately through the eyes of the sister, washing his body at the morgue. It was clinical yet so emotionally charged. You know when you start reading and you’re like erm YEP this is the book for me? I had that with this. There were no meh stories for me but in terms of sequencing I would have loved for Alligator (the strongest story) to have been placed last it felt like such a huge crescendo of a story to be placed halfway through. The 9 stories each shone a light on conflicted women.
‘Disappearance’ and ‘Only Those who Struggle’ depicted vulnerability so beautifully with the latter following a young Syrian graduate navigating the white male corporate world, her detachment from the sexual assault and sexism she faces was harrowing but happens all too often in real life.
The titular story Alligator was an incredible standout for me, told through transcripts, social media posts and news paper articles it starts with the true story of the lynching of a Syrian couple by police officers in 1930s Florida and builds out the repercussions and intergenerational trauma on their children and beyond. I’d hiiiighly suggest this collection if you enjoyed What It Means When a Man falls from the Sky or narratives rooted in conflicting identities. This was the last of my July reads and ya know what they say, I definitely saved the best til last. Follow me for my reviews over on @webleyreads
‘Disappearance’ and ‘Only Those who Struggle’ depicted vulnerability so beautifully with the latter following a young Syrian graduate navigating the white male corporate world, her detachment from the sexual assault and sexism she faces was harrowing but happens all too often in real life.
The titular story Alligator was an incredible standout for me, told through transcripts, social media posts and news paper articles it starts with the true story of the lynching of a Syrian couple by police officers in 1930s Florida and builds out the repercussions and intergenerational trauma on their children and beyond. I’d hiiiighly suggest this collection if you enjoyed What It Means When a Man falls from the Sky or narratives rooted in conflicting identities. This was the last of my July reads and ya know what they say, I definitely saved the best til last. Follow me for my reviews over on @webleyreads
August 21, 2021
3.5, rounding up.
Stories and mini reviews:
Ghusl
Incredibly hard read. A woman washes her dead brother. Was hard for me to stomach.
Daughters of Manāt
Cw Suicide.
Disappearance
A very moving story about a boy and his younger brother with special needs, set when Etan Patz disappeared. (I nearly cried.) A beautiful portrayal of the confusion and innocence of childhood.
Only Those Who Struggle Succeed
(Spoiler) A #MeToo story. Took a few minutes to gel for me, but I got so involved and so mad and then really truly incensed, and I’m so glad there was resolution.
But more than that, she longed to tell the young woman to carry fire, soon and often, to tell the others, and to set alight everything she saw, to waste no time burning all her bridges down.
In the Land of Kan’an
…
Alligator
I watched an interview with the author where she talked about the construction of Whiteness by Arab Americans, and also about the structure of this story (unusual in that it feels like collected archival material). That makes it interesting.
Summer of the Shark
(spoiler) … is about 9/11.
Once We Were Syrians
Had a hard time with this, which story was actually the reason I moved the book up my tbr list, as it was featured in Week 3 of the course I’m on. The course says this is dialogue, but it reads like a slightly confusing monologue (which is good writing, actually, because old ladies can seem confusing when they talk to their grandkids).
A Girl in Three Acts
is about a girl, is lonely, and is beautiful.
Conclusion: Gut-churning start to the anthology, bumpy in parts, but ends beautifully.
Stories and mini reviews:
Ghusl
Incredibly hard read. A woman washes her dead brother. Was hard for me to stomach.
Daughters of Manāt
Cw Suicide.
Disappearance
A very moving story about a boy and his younger brother with special needs, set when Etan Patz disappeared. (I nearly cried.) A beautiful portrayal of the confusion and innocence of childhood.
Only Those Who Struggle Succeed
(Spoiler) A #MeToo story. Took a few minutes to gel for me, but I got so involved and so mad and then really truly incensed, and I’m so glad there was resolution.
But more than that, she longed to tell the young woman to carry fire, soon and often, to tell the others, and to set alight everything she saw, to waste no time burning all her bridges down.
In the Land of Kan’an
…
Alligator
I watched an interview with the author where she talked about the construction of Whiteness by Arab Americans, and also about the structure of this story (unusual in that it feels like collected archival material). That makes it interesting.
Summer of the Shark
(spoiler) … is about 9/11.
Once We Were Syrians
Had a hard time with this, which story was actually the reason I moved the book up my tbr list, as it was featured in Week 3 of the course I’m on. The course says this is dialogue, but it reads like a slightly confusing monologue (which is good writing, actually, because old ladies can seem confusing when they talk to their grandkids).
A Girl in Three Acts
is about a girl, is lonely, and is beautiful.
Conclusion: Gut-churning start to the anthology, bumpy in parts, but ends beautifully.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2023
I really enjoyed the stories told in Alligator. I liked that the author often used the backdrop of girlhood to show the struggle between the characters’ Syrian and American identities. I think this book says a lot about the fluidity of culture and complex family bonds, and I found myself learning a lot from these stories.
However, some pieces were written in formats that were distracting to me. The title story was a fascinating look at how minority groups are pit against each other throughout multiple generations (a huge oversimplification of the story), but if you’re not able to get through the multimedia format, you might miss this point. Although it was intriguing, I think it would’ve been a more powerful story had it been traditional prose, along with a few other stories.
I would read it again and I’d recommend it to others, but it’s definitely not a style that I usually seek out.
However, some pieces were written in formats that were distracting to me. The title story was a fascinating look at how minority groups are pit against each other throughout multiple generations (a huge oversimplification of the story), but if you’re not able to get through the multimedia format, you might miss this point. Although it was intriguing, I think it would’ve been a more powerful story had it been traditional prose, along with a few other stories.
I would read it again and I’d recommend it to others, but it’s definitely not a style that I usually seek out.
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