Sirine is thirty-nine and a breathtaking golden-haired beauty. Half-Iraqi and half-American, she was raised in Los Angeles by her Iraqi-born uncle -- a professor at the local university and an endless source of fabulous tales of jinns, sheiks and Bedouins -- after her aid-worker parents were killed in Africa. An exquisitely gifted cook at Cafe Nadia, where homesick Middle Eastern ex-pats collect to drink coffee and savour her perfectly spiced food, Sirine is loved by all. She has, however, never been in love herself, and it is her uncle's dearest wish that she will fall for dashing new college professor, Hanif Al Eyad, a political exile from Baghdad. The two meet at Cafe Nadia and from the start their relationship is steeped in the scents, flavours and textures of Sirine's cooking. But Sirine is not convinced that they have the right ingredients for a life of happy-ever-after; in particular, she worries that she is too American for Hanif.
In this rich, poignant and tender novel, Diana Abu-Jaber has created unforgettable characters and a compelling story of what it means to be an Iraqi living -- and loving -- in America.
'Love, lust and Lebanese cooking commingle to create a deliciously romantic romp about l'amour and the quest for identity' VANITY FAIR
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Part of the book's charm is in its determination to impart the sheer glamour of Arabia, here personified in Han's face: "Sirine watches Han and for a moment it seems that she can actually see the ancient traces in Han's face, the quality of his gaze that seems to originate from a thousand-thousand years of watching the horizon--a forlorn, beautiful gazing, rich and more seductive than anything she has ever seen."
Also, the book addresses head-on the one-dimensional view Americans possess of Iraq. "I used to read about Baghdad in Arabian Nights", says one American character. "It was all about magic and adventurers. I thought that's what it was like there. And when I got older Baghdad turned into the stuff about war and bombs--the place on the TV set. I never thought about there being any kind of normal life there."
As she falls more deeply in love with Han, Sirine discovers that part of being Iraqi now means learning to live with not knowing: not knowing where people have disappeared to, not knowing if your family is alive or dead. In the book's thrilling romantic denouement, these lessons come perilously close to Sirine's Los Angeles home. Crescent brings alive a vibrant community of exiled academics, immigrants on the make and optimistic souls looking for love. --Claire Dederer, Amazon.com
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Book Description Condition: Gut. Open Market Ed. 352 Seiten Nachgedunkelt, berieben, Gebrauchsspuren. D674 Sprache: Englisch Gewicht in Gramm: 181 Taschenbuch, Größe: 17.2 x 11.2 x 2.6 cm. Seller Inventory # 96001
Book Description Condition: Sehr gut. Auflage: Open Market Ed. 352 Seiten kleine Lagerspuren am Buch, Inhalt einwandfrei und ungelesen 153805 Sprache: Englisch Gewicht in Gramm: 185 11,0 x 2,3 x 17,6 cm, Taschenbuch. Seller Inventory # 198731
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Crescent This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780330427654
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780330427654
Book Description Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. Seller Inventory # 9780330427654