EBOOK
About
Winner of the 2023 Khayrallah Book Prize
Finalist for the 2024 CLMP Firecracker Award for Debut Fiction
Shortlisted for the 2024 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing
A Washington Post Best Book of September • Named a Best Book of the Year at Electric Lit, Chicago Public Library, Powell's, and Kirkus Reviews
"Sly, straight-faced, tenderly wicked. . . . A classic American short story collection."―Michael Chabon
A sharp, tender, and uproariously funny portrait of the lives of Arab American community members in Dearborn, Michigan.
Spanning several decades, Ghassan Zeineddine's debut collection examines the diverse range and complexities of the Arab American community in Dearborn, Michigan. In ten tragicomic stories, Zeineddine explores themes of identity, generational conflicts, war trauma, migration, sexuality, queerness, home and belonging, and more.
In Dearborn, a father teaches his son how to cheat the IRS and hide their cash earnings inside of frozen chickens. Tensions heighten within a close-knit group of couples when a mysterious man begins to frequent the local gym pool, dressed in Speedos printed with nostalgic images of Lebanon. And a failed stage actor attempts to drive a young Lebanese man with ambitions of becoming a Hollywood action hero to LA, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have other plans.
By turns wildly funny, incisive, and deeply moving, Dearborn introduces readers to an arresting new voice in contemporary fiction and invites us all to consider what it means to be part of a place and community, and how it is that we help one another survive. Funny and sincere. . . . connected by history, by ambition, by a myth of a nation that never manifests but is reborn again and again in the immigrant gaze.-New York Times Book Review
Both witty and thoughtful, Zeineddine's tragicomic stories about Arab American characters in Dearborn, Mich., explore themes of immigration, prejudice, sexuality, belonging and more.-The Washington Post
Fresh, exciting, and as American as it gets.-Good Housekeeping, A Best Book of Fall
Builds surprising, tender alliances and chooses idiosyncratic paths that exceed easy stereotypes.-NPR
Stories of heritage, family, and trauma interconnect within a Michigan Arab American community.-American Library Association, A 2024 ALA Notable Book
Stirring. . . . sharply observed.-Booklist, Starred Review
Stories full of humor and warmth about an Arab American community. Inspiring. . . . Masterfully told. . . . What Zeineddine can do with a simple storyline and a few pages is a thing of wonder. A fantastic collection heralding the voice of a major new writer.-Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
Whether it's an aspiring actor evading ICE or a cross-dressing butcher, these characters are fully fleshed in their desire, fears, and contradictions. A brilliant work of fiction that will undoubtedly be canon in Arab American literature.-Electric Literature
Terrific. . . . funny and tender tales will remain in your memory for a long while.-The Center for Fiction
Couched in humorous antics and poignant remembrances, the book deftly covers themes of assimilation and belonging, generational divides, migration, class mobility, masculinity, and queerness.-The Rumpus
A supremely accomplished debut.-The National News
A nuanced exploration into all aspects of a community. . . . Reading this collection is an eye-opening experience for those who only encountered these kinds of characters in mainstream American media.-Debutiful, a Most Anticipated Book of 2023
It's a testament to the author's skill in hooking the reader with good stories and great characters. This is a standout collection with strong book club appeal that will have readers eagerly awaiting Zeineddine's follow-up.-Chicago Public Library, A Best Book of 2023
Captivating. . . . These stories, written in Zeineddine's compassionate and droll prose, evoke laug
Finalist for the 2024 CLMP Firecracker Award for Debut Fiction
Shortlisted for the 2024 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing
A Washington Post Best Book of September • Named a Best Book of the Year at Electric Lit, Chicago Public Library, Powell's, and Kirkus Reviews
"Sly, straight-faced, tenderly wicked. . . . A classic American short story collection."―Michael Chabon
A sharp, tender, and uproariously funny portrait of the lives of Arab American community members in Dearborn, Michigan.
Spanning several decades, Ghassan Zeineddine's debut collection examines the diverse range and complexities of the Arab American community in Dearborn, Michigan. In ten tragicomic stories, Zeineddine explores themes of identity, generational conflicts, war trauma, migration, sexuality, queerness, home and belonging, and more.
In Dearborn, a father teaches his son how to cheat the IRS and hide their cash earnings inside of frozen chickens. Tensions heighten within a close-knit group of couples when a mysterious man begins to frequent the local gym pool, dressed in Speedos printed with nostalgic images of Lebanon. And a failed stage actor attempts to drive a young Lebanese man with ambitions of becoming a Hollywood action hero to LA, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have other plans.
By turns wildly funny, incisive, and deeply moving, Dearborn introduces readers to an arresting new voice in contemporary fiction and invites us all to consider what it means to be part of a place and community, and how it is that we help one another survive. Funny and sincere. . . . connected by history, by ambition, by a myth of a nation that never manifests but is reborn again and again in the immigrant gaze.-New York Times Book Review
Both witty and thoughtful, Zeineddine's tragicomic stories about Arab American characters in Dearborn, Mich., explore themes of immigration, prejudice, sexuality, belonging and more.-The Washington Post
Fresh, exciting, and as American as it gets.-Good Housekeeping, A Best Book of Fall
Builds surprising, tender alliances and chooses idiosyncratic paths that exceed easy stereotypes.-NPR
Stories of heritage, family, and trauma interconnect within a Michigan Arab American community.-American Library Association, A 2024 ALA Notable Book
Stirring. . . . sharply observed.-Booklist, Starred Review
Stories full of humor and warmth about an Arab American community. Inspiring. . . . Masterfully told. . . . What Zeineddine can do with a simple storyline and a few pages is a thing of wonder. A fantastic collection heralding the voice of a major new writer.-Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
Whether it's an aspiring actor evading ICE or a cross-dressing butcher, these characters are fully fleshed in their desire, fears, and contradictions. A brilliant work of fiction that will undoubtedly be canon in Arab American literature.-Electric Literature
Terrific. . . . funny and tender tales will remain in your memory for a long while.-The Center for Fiction
Couched in humorous antics and poignant remembrances, the book deftly covers themes of assimilation and belonging, generational divides, migration, class mobility, masculinity, and queerness.-The Rumpus
A supremely accomplished debut.-The National News
A nuanced exploration into all aspects of a community. . . . Reading this collection is an eye-opening experience for those who only encountered these kinds of characters in mainstream American media.-Debutiful, a Most Anticipated Book of 2023
It's a testament to the author's skill in hooking the reader with good stories and great characters. This is a standout collection with strong book club appeal that will have readers eagerly awaiting Zeineddine's follow-up.-Chicago Public Library, A Best Book of 2023
Captivating. . . . These stories, written in Zeineddine's compassionate and droll prose, evoke laug