The Return: Fathers, Sons and the Land In Between - Hardcover

Matar, Hisham

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670923338 ISBN 13: 9780670923335

Publisher: Viking, 2016

Synopsis

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION
SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FOR AUTOBIOGRAPHY
WINNER OF THE SLIGHTLY FOXED BEST FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE
ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES' TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2016

The Return is at once a universal and an intensely personal tale. It is an exquisite meditation on how history and politics can bear down on an individual life. And yet Hisham Matar's memoir isn't just about the burden of the past, but the consolation of love, literature and art. It is the story of what it is to be human.

Hisham Matar was nineteen when his father was kidnapped and taken to prison in Libya. He would never see him again. Twenty-two years later, the fall of Gaddafi meant he was finally able to return to his homeland. In this moving memoir, the author takes us on an illuminating journey, both physical and psychological; a journey to find his father and rediscover his country.

About this title

Review:

What a brilliant book. The Return reads as easily as a thriller, but is a story that will stick; a person is lost but gravity and resonance remain (Hilary Mantel)

It is likely to become a classic. (Colm Tóibín)

A total work of art. It reminded me of Solzhenitsyn. It is of the same importance. I love it.

(James Rebanks)

Wise and agonizing and thrilling to read (Zadie Smith)

Bristles with arresting wisdom (Jeremy Paxman)

A treasure for the ages (Peter Carey)

Tremendously powerful (Nadeem Aslam)

A magnificent memoir of exile and loss (Rawi Hage)

One of the essential books of our times (Adam Foulds)

A profound and powerful meditation on love, loss and exile (Sunday Express)

From the Back Cover:

WINNER OF THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE
WINNER OF THE PEN AMERICA LITERARY AWARD
WINNER OF THE SLIGHTLY FOXED BEST FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION
SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE DUFF COOPER PRIZE

'A moving, unflinching memoir of a family torn apart' Kazuo Ishiguro, Guardian
'At once, a suspenseful detective story about a writer investigating his father's fate at the hands of a brutal dictatorship, and a son's efforts to come to terms with his father's ghost, who has haunted more than half his life by his absence. A haunting memoir about one family, and one son's search for his father' New York Times
'Moving, truly remarkable, thrilling, gripping. From his anger, suffering, and grief, Matar has built a testament to his father, his family and his country' Daily Telegraph
'Matar has forged a memoir that in its nuance and nobility bears unforgettable witness to love, to courage and to humanity' Financial Times
'A story of terrible deeds, but also a tale of mighty love, loyalty and courage. It must be read' Spectator

About this edition

• Publisher: Viking
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0670923338
• ISBN 13: 9780670923335
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288