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Enter ghost : a novel
2023
Where is it?
Fiction/Biography Profile
Characters
Sonia Nasir (Female), Actor, Palestinian, An actress living in London; sister of Haneen
Haneen Nasir (Female), Teacher, Palestinian, Teaches at a university in Tel Aviv; older sister of Sonia;
Mariam (Female), Director, Charismatic, Local director working on a production of Hamlet in the West Banik
Genre
Fiction
Family
Literary
Political
Topics
Sisters
Family
Palestinians
Exile
Reconciliation
Setting
Israel - Asia / Middle East
Palestine - Asia / Middle East
Time Period
1980s-1990s -- 20th century
2000s -- 21st century
Large Cover Image
Trade Reviews
Publishers Weekly Review
Hammad (The Parisian) offers a soul-stirring and dramatic tale of a Palestinian family's exile and reconciliation. Sisters Sonia and Haneen Nasir grew up in London in the 1980s and '90s and visited their paternal grandparents in Haifa on holidays, where their grandparents remained after many other Palestinians were displaced by Israeli statehood in 1948. Now approaching 40, Sonia is an actor in London, while her older sister, Haneen, lives in Haifa, one of the few Palestinian faculty members at a university in Tel Aviv. Sonia's marriage has failed, and after ending an affair, she visits Haneen. There, she meets the outspoken Mariam Mansour, who is directing an all-Palestinian production of Hamlet, translated into classical Arabic, in the occupied West Bank, and who convinces Sonia to play Gertrude. The production breathes new life into Shakespeare's text, suggesting for instance whether Palestine itself is "to be or not to be." However, funding cuts by the Palestinian Authority and draconian attempts from the Israeli government to enforce cultural loyalty hamper the production, leaving Mariam to play the lead herself. Against the backdrop of violent struggles over the al-Aqsa Mosque, and a vivid image of hundreds of Muslim men peacefully bowing in prayer in the streets of East Jerusalem when Israeli authorities close off the mosque compound for "security concerns," the troupe stages an opening-night outdoor performance. The layered text, rich in languages and literary references, dives deep into Sonia's consciousness, illustrating her hopes for what art can accomplish. This deeply human work will stay with readers. (Apr.)
Summary
Winner of the Aspen Words Literary Prize
Winner of the Royal Society of Literature's Encore Award

Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction

A New York Times and Washington Post Notable Book of the Year

"Assured and formidable." -- Wall Street Journal

After years away from her family's homeland, and reeling from a disastrous love affair, actress Sonia Nasir returns to Haifa to visit her older sister Haneen. This is her first trip back since the second intifada and the deaths of their grandparents: while Haneen made a life here commuting to Tel Aviv to teach at the university, Sonia remained in London to focus on her acting career and now dissolute marriage. On her return, she finds her relationship to Palestine is fragile, both bone-deep and new.

At Haneen's, Sonia meets the charismatic and candid Mariam, a local director, and finds herself roped into a production of Hamlet in the West Bank. Sonia is soon rehearsing Gertude's lines in Classical Arabic and spending more time in Ramallah than Haifa, along with a dedicated group of men from all over historic Palestine who, in spite of competing egos and priorities, each want to bring Shakespeare to that side of the wall. As opening night draws closer it becomes clear just how many violent obstacles stand before a troupe of Palestinian actors. Amidst it all, the life Sonia once knew starts to give way to the daunting, exhilarating possibility of finding a new self in her ancestral home.

A stunning rendering of present-day Palestine, Enter Ghost is a story of diaspora, displacement, and the connection to be found in family and shared resistance. Timely, thoughtful, and passionate, Isabella Hammad's highly anticipated second novel is an exquisite feat, an unforgettable story of artistry under occupation.

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