? Nahr spends her blurry days in solitary confinement, thinking back on the chain of events that led her to become a political prisoner under the Israeli government. Against the Loveless World by Palestinian-American author and activist Susan Abulhawa tells the story of a young Palestinian woman, born to a family exiled in Kuwait after the Nakba, who finds her way back to her homeland as she becomes part of the fight for Palestine. Published in 2020, the novel sheds light on gender and political oppression, tracing the toll of survival in displacement.

Abulhawa draws inspiration from her early life in Kuwait to detail Nahr’s life growing up as a refugee and a citizen in the Arab country. During her early youth, Nahr is distant and ambivalent towards Palestine, feeling a stronger connection to the country she grew up in despite her family constantly aching for the homeland they’ve lost. She marries early to a fellow Palestinian who similarly abandons her to return to his first love in the motherland.

Enter Um Buraq. An independent middle-aged Iraqi woman whose reputation precedes her, Um Buraq is rumored to be involved in vague shady dealings and even espionage. She approaches Nahr, naive and helpless, and lures her into prostitution. Um Buraq is a bitter, strong-headed misandrist and self-proclaimed feminist who commissions young women to spend nights with rich older men. The contradiction in her character is striking, even disturbing, a tension Abulhawa acknowledges, noting that “people are complicated and the relationships between exploited women take on many layers.”

Her path to resistance: With the signing of the Oslo Accords, Nahr is finally able to go back to Palestine. She goes primarily to get an official divorce, and ends up falling in love with and marrying her ex husband’s brother, who we’re first introduced to as she starts recounting her life from solitary confinement. Being a resistance fighter, her new husband jumpstarts Nahr’s political radicalization as she is exposed to the horrors endured by the Palestinians under Israeli rule. She assists his combatant group in anti-military operations until she is eventually caught by the Israelis and receives a 16-year prison sentence in “the Cube.”

Nahr leads an emotionally intense life of bereavement. In her solitary confinement, she desperately holds onto her love for Bilal. As she sits in the Cube looking back on her life, she is weighed down by longing, regret, anger, indignation, and a helpless exhaustion. Abulhawa skillfully depicts the brutal reality of solitary confinement through Nahr, establishing an impactful connection between personal trauma and political commentary. Through Nahr’s all-encompassing experience as a Palestinian refugee, Abulhawa blends immersive fiction with cutting history and reality. The book is laced with humor and moments of warmth and hope, making for an engaging read.

WHERE TO FIND IT- You can find Against the Loveless World at Diwan, or as an eBook on Amazon or as an audiobook on Kobo.

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