First of all, thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.
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I’ll try and get through my thoughts on this book as quickly and succinctly as possible. Starting off with things I liked: the exploration of culture and belonging was really, really wonderful and was delightful to read about. I really enjoyed that all the characters were linked together in some way.

That being said, I think this book would have benefited from following the lives of less characters, say maybe 3 or 4 instead of 6+. Because we were following so many characters, I found it quite difficult to connect with them on a deeper level, as I wasn’t really spending that much time with them. I think the book would have read better if it focused on less characters so readers had a chance to connect instead of struggling to keep track of people.

Overall, I do think this is a well written and necessary novel, I just wish I could have had a chance to get to know these characters better.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Told through a series of short stories from different character's perspectives, this is a look into a Palestinian Christian community in the US, from young teenagers grappling with two sides of their Palestinian-American identity to the first generation immigrants who left Palestine behind. This was such a compelling and quick read - I was so drawn in by every character, and before I realised it I'd finished the book in just a few hours. There are so many layers to the different stories, which all interlock with each other, from strained family relationships to the thrill of first love and the sting of heartbreak. These are human stories, with a ring of truth to them, and the echoes of a homeland many have never been to. The expectations of their first generation relatives thread themselves through each tale.

A relatively quick and easy read, very digestible and will stay with you afterwards.

**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Behind You Is The Sea is a collection of connecting short stories based on the lives of a Palestinian American community/extended family living in Baltimore. Each story follows a different narrator though the lives of all of the characters intersect and cross paths the whole way through.

Darraj's narration both has a poetic quality to it and is straight to the point, immediately drawing you into all of their lives. Each perspective explores identity and the diaspora experience across different generations in a unique way. Touching on themes of love and grief, family relationships, the upholding of cultural traditions as well as microaggressions both within and outside of the community there was something profoundly moving in every single account.

Whilst the episodic nature of the book worked really well I wouldn't have minded if this had been a full length saga as there were so many of the stories and individuals that I wanted to know more from. No character in this book is perfect and you'll definitely warm to some more than others but Darraj's writing sure makes none of them forgettable!
Final Rating - 4/5 Stars

Really enjoyed this book. I loved how it followed a different number of characters but they were all interconnected. There was a real wit to the narrative and every character was super interesting and unique. Some parts of it made my jaw drop as it explored such a range of human experiences. Really enjoyed and how it was structured.

This book is the story of Palestinian families who emigrated to the USA or were born there to immigrant parents. We learn of their stories from mainly from the second and third generation immigrant family members but the experiences of the first generations are included in these viewpoints. We see the connections between these families, how they view each other, both within their own community and against the Americans and how this influences their lives. We see how the first generations, try and maintain the Palestine roots through names they give their children, language, food and music, we see how their attitudes impact their feelings for their new homeland. We also find out how the later generations start to integrate more into the American culture but don’t entirely fit in and how this also causes issues with their own parents.

This is not only a book about immigration, about cultural differences but about life too, regardless of cultural roots: we witness marriages, affairs, different ways of life, dealing with infertility, abortion, illnesses like dementia, family feuds and falling outs just to mention a few. The final chapter is beautiful and full of emotion.

The viewpoints change from chapter to chapter and the chapters are therefore relatively long as they each tell a person’s story. Over the course of the book, we see the same names crop up and start to make the connections between these individuals and how they relate to each other. I actually ended up drawing up a family tree of sorts a few chapters in, as I found it tricky remembering who was who and being able to glance at this whilst starting a new chapter helped me place that person straight away.

The writing is beautiful and rich. There are parts that make you laugh and parts which break your heart. A wonderful insight into both emigration and life after in a new land and Palestine history and culture.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @swiftpress for this ARC (advanced reader copy). Publication date in the UK for for Behind you is the sea is 6 June 2024.

I enjoyed how the stories interconnected and was heartfelt.
Given that there is not many palestinian fiction author in the mainstream, this was a good intro to the culture and background.
I think it's relatable to any immigrant that has come to the west and has to deal with identity, racism and class issues.

Behind You Is The Sea is a story of three families in a Palestinian community in Baltimore, their lives intertwining across divides of class, generation, and religion.

CW/TW: This book contains themes related to abortion and infertility, cancer, dementia, death, domestic abuse, disordered eating behaviors and body image which may be distressing or triggering for some readers.

I finished this gem in just one day! It gives profound insight into the challenges immigrants face both navigating their new lives and within their families, their generation and other generations. The novel is powerful,heartwarming, heartbreaking and often funny.

The characters are vivid. I particularly loved 'Cleaning Lentils' which reminded me of my own childhood and deep connection with my grandparents.

It's a beautifully written and deeply moving, important novel that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.

💭 Have you read and enjoyed any books by Palestinian women authors?

🙏🏼 Thank you to Netgalley SwiftPress for this gifted ARC.

3.25 stars

I think the opening quote by Ibrahim Nasrallah really encapsulates the themes of the book really well in that “you have to be loyal to your exile as much as you are loyal to your homeland.” The novel follows nine different members of the Palestinian diaspora are part of the same Baltimore community, but have very different positions and outlooks on life.

There is:
- Reema: who grapples with a teenage pregnancy amongst the stress of a dying father, a mother lost in her grief, and caring for her 2-year old sister.
- Marcus: a born defender who drifts through life. most of this revolves around his relationship with his girlfriend, whom he doesn’t feel an emotional connection with, and his dad, who continues to shun Marcus’ sister after abortion, substance abuse and running away from home in her teenage years.
- Walid: whose second son is marrying a Scottish girl during the mourning period for Walid’s mother.
- Rania: mother to a neurodivergent child, whose father refuses to make accomodations for. her marriage continues to decline.
- Maysoon: the adult version of Reema’s younger sister who cleans the house of Walid’s first son Demetri and his wife. This family may be rich but they are all faltering.
- Layla: who is struggling to voice her opposition to her drama club’s Aladdin production as others brush off her concerns.
- Hiba: Demetri’s daughter, who has sought refuge with her grandparents and is learning how to fall in love with herself again after cold love from her family and love interests.
- Samira: is also on a journey to self-acceptance after enduring the shame of divorce and being without children at age 40. she also learns about her father and their relationship as his dementia worsens.
- Marcus (again): visits Palestine for the first time and finds peace.

Each perspective was so beautiful and emotive - my favourites being Walid, Hiba and Samira. In ‘Mr Ammar Gets Drunk At the Wedding’ Walid really delves into the sorrow of your children not connecting to your culture and feeling disillusioned with the American dream (despite being part of the most well-off family we follow). Hiba’s journey in Cleaning Lentils is so heartbreaking and exemplified how simple values, connecting to family and culture, is what is needed in life rather than emphasis on appearance, social acceptance and class prestige. Similarly, Samira’s development in Worry Beads feels very personal to the reader because I’m sure this is an experience very common amongst women and her relationship with her father is also so vulnerable.

Whilst I enjoyed reading this and it was so easy to slip into, I felt like it could have been a stronger narrative had there been either a smaller cast or more overlap between the characters/perspectives. I understand that Muaddi Darraj is trying to show us different sides of the diaspora experiences, and that some of these were written and published individually as short stories before being compiled in this book, but it’s clear that she wanted to deliver some very hard truths about problems in the community - like anti-black sentiments, oppression of women, and forfeit of homeland ties in favour of American values. These could have been conveyed more thoroughly if the characters interacted more with each other, rather than having such isolated storylines, or if it was a bit more focused. There were definitely gems there and the reader could see the juxtaposition between the poorer and richer, the men who got away with so much vs the women who suffered years after the fact, and more throughout all the chapters. I just felt like it could have been much more impactful and had stronger commentary on the community.

Definitely would recommend regardless, it was still thought provoking and enjoyable - sometimes I just wished I had more to dig into.

Some (Arab) reviewers complain that this collection of short stories about the Christian Palestinian community is full of negative stereotypes. That may be true, but stereotypes exist for a reason. What made me wonder is that obviously the stereotypes apply to Christians just as much as to Muslims who definitely are the majority in Palestine.
Of course all described problems not only apply to Palestinians, but to many immigrants, the feeling of not fitting in neither here nor there. The gap between first generation immigrants and the following generations is apparent in all such communities.
Then again, all these conflicts (expect bringing a body in your unknown homeland) might happen to anybody, no matter the ethnicity or race.

4.5 stars
insanely beautiful collection of interconnecting stories about the Palestinian diaspora. i think writing a novel with shifting narratives lends the risk of creating forgettable characters in the mix, but i felt a deep connection to every single character, so much so that i was sad when their chapter would end. i thought the way characters experienced the American dream in their own unique ways was so interesting, seeing the effects of assimilation into Western society vs being unable to, the desperation of clinging to the remnants of ur culture, the cultural stain in being dishonoured from your own family. one of my favourite stories was Samira’s,, the father daughter relationship was soul destroying to read,, and i also loved how the novel had a full circle moment with Marcus visiting Palestine for the first time to return his fathers body,, incredibly moving.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Behind you is the sea is a collection of interwoven short stories about the experiences of Palestinian Americans in Baltimore. It explores the rich and diverse lives of people even within a niche culture. I really enjoyed the different perspectives of immigrant parents and first generation American children; how the parents and children were attached or detached to their heritage. It explores complicated relationship and complicated people really effectively.

I found this book really interesting and felt I gained important insight into the Palestinian and Palestinian American experience.

Beautifully written, insightful and emotional, highly recommend

I have never read any literature about Palestinian and so I was very interested in reading this book.
The interrelated stories set in Baltimore are fascinating. I enjoyed the multi generational families but obviously I don’t know whether these relationships are true to life or a bit stereotyped. A family tree or a character list would have been helpful as sometimes I couldn’t work out the relationships. The longing for their home state, by the older generation, runs throughout the stories.

i will forever be excited by any form of Palestinian representation!!!
Behind you is the sea is a collection of interconnected short stories about Palestinian Americans living in Baltimore. Each character goes through their own set of unique and ‘taboo’ issues, from teen pregnancy, family breakdowns, socioeconomic issues, domestic violence and loss of cultural identity.
Whilst covering these intense topics i think it sometimes lead to a lot of stereotypes; which is a shame because of the lack of Palestinian representation in western media. A lot of the characters in this book were trying to detach themselves from their roots and culture in order to ‘fit in’ with life in America.
I think as reader for this book you need to take into account Palestinians history, where they come from and what led a lot of them to flee. Don’t get sucked into stereotypes & educate yourself.

I DNF'd this one around 50%, which really saddens me as I was so excited for it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Swift Press for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

I would like to note that I am sharing my experience in the interest of safety for my fellow autistic/disabled humans.

‘Behind You is the Sea’ is a collection of interlinking stories from multiple Palestinian families living in the US.

I’ll start by saying that, much like other Palestinian literature I have read, I am grateful to the author for sharing these stories. This review is not to take away from that by any means.

That being said, as readers and reviewers we owe it to ourselves and the book community to read with discernment and through our own lens of truth and safety.

Onto the reason I DNF’d this book. Sadly, I found myself let down by the harmful language around autism and disability in the story titled ‘The Hashtag’. There are no spoilers ahead as the parts I am referencing are not relevant to the story.

CW: mention of the diagnosis and history of Asp***** ahead and some uncomfortable disability comparison.

In this story the MC has an autistic son, diagnosed with ‘Asperger’s’, which is no longer a diagnosis. Hans Asperger was directly involved in the nart-sey youu-gen-ics movement. Whilst some people do still identify with this term, for others it is unsafe.

The MC goes on to express gratitude that her son was not born with “a severe disability” that would be “more challenging”. In my opinion, this is an ableist comparison-centric view of disability, which did not sit well with me as a member of the disabled community. Worse yet, I did not feel that the mention of disability was relevant to this story, it felt like a plot device.

Other aspects of this book had a lot of potential and were it not for having to stop reading for my own safety, I do believe I could have enjoyed it overall.

I hope people find this review helpful.

And incredible collection of interrelated short stories about a family of Palestinians who have immigrated to the United States, and their neighbours. Each story from a different time, but interwoven with the others seamlessly. This is a mediation on what it is like to be Palestinian, to be newly American, to be an Immigrant and to be part of a family.

loved loved loved this one! i think it is super important for stories like this one to be out there and for people to educate themselves on the reality of palestinian families living in diaspora not only in the us, but all over the world. the writing was top-notch and not once did i struggle with the broad cast of characters, which is something i usually have a hard time connecting with! i will definitely keep an eye out for susan muaddi darraj’s future projects, because i adored this one to bits.

For 75 years, the Palestinian people have been looking for a way to return home. And in the meantime, they have had to make a variety of homes for themselves all over the globe. This novel deals with a Palestinian- American community in Baltimore featured in an interconnected series of stories.

In the process of scattering to the four winds, the generational divides that exist in every society have been highlighted in some ways (as is the case within the families that we read about in this book), whilst the issue of a fractured identity, to varying degrees, is something that they are all familiar with.

The Baladi, Salameh and Ammar families make up some of the residents in this diverse community, which also spans the political spectrum from progressive activism to traditional conservatism - sometimes within the same household!

Additionally, there are other tensions caused by the socio economic disparities between community members. For example, one of the Baladi youngsters is employees to clean up after her spoiled peers in another of the families.

And then, of course, there are the invisible tensions that come from being somewhat "the other" in wider American society. As one of the younger members of the community experiences while struggling to express her discomfort with some of the stereotypes in the school production of Aladdin.

Speaking of which, there are some elements in this book that do seem a little stereotypical at times, particularly the misogyny and rage of some male characters.

On the other hand, this is a strongly patriarchal culture and it cuts across religious beliefs - clearly demonstrated since the characters in the book are Christian Palestinians. Furthermore, there are some attitudes that may manifest even (perhaps especially) amongst immigrant communities where the elders may be stuck in a time warp while the youngsters may be fully or partially absorbing the values of the culture in which they are currently located.

Overall, this is an interesting book which makes it clear that Palestinians are not religiously, politically or socially monolithic, regardless of what the mass media would have you think. The stories are absorbing and the characters authentic. Hence, it is worth a read for a variety of reasons - not least understanding the injustice of what is happening in the Middle East today. It gets 3.5 stars.