💡 As important as exile stories are, some fade into the background, while others like Hisham Matar’s My Friends linger long after you’ve turned the final page. Longlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize, Matar’s novel is a gloomy account of the realities of living far from home and the unseen effects of a country’s political upheaval. The British-Libyan Pulitzer Prize laureate traces the lives of three Libyan friends, exiled under the Gaddafi regime, and how their friendship endures through difficult choices.

Khaled, a man in his 50s, looks back at the decades he spent living in London away from his hometown, Benghazi. Facing an overwhelming present-day solitude, Khaled lets his memories circle a single pivotal moment when he and his university friend Mustafa joined London’s anti-Gaddafi protests in 1984. His involvement, in part, is sparked by writer Hosam Zowa — whom he would later befriend — and his bizarre yet striking short story that aired on BBC Radio when the protagonist was only a young student.

The story is vivid in its emotions, gentle in its storytelling, and tainted with an inescapable somberness. Khaled evokes a deep portrait of the daily strain of exile and how fear of political retribution controlled most of his life. His friendship with Mustafa and Hosam is emotionally rich; their dynamic feels deeply personal as Matar takes inspiration from real-life events. Grounded and distinctively well-rounded, the novel depicts a life shaped by politics, the struggle for identity, and a longing for home.

WHERE TO FIND IT- Keep an eye out for a restock of the paperback at Diwan or place a special order at The Bookspot. You can also get the eBook on Kobo.

Tags: