Absent - Hardcover

Khedairi, Betool

3.57

1,126 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 9774249631 ISBN 13: 9789774249631

Publisher: The American University in Cairo Press, 2005

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

"Absent" is an affectionate, wry, funny portrait - sometimes darkly so - of the inhabitants of an apartment block in central Baghdad, juxtaposing the days of plenty that Iraq experienced in the 1970s and the tragic state of the country during the period of wars and sanctions. Most of the protagonists are female, highlighting the absence of men in their society as a result of the exceptional conditions it suffers. As sanctions and political unrest intensify, each character must look to their own resources. They barter, bee keep, tell fortunes, collect buttons, and talk. All the characters stumble through in a Dadaesque collage, recounted through an eclectic mix of realistic narrative and surreal hallucinations, while the infrastructure and consequently the social fabric of the community crumble. Transcending its underlying layer of betrayal and mistrust, this is a novel about people's quirks, their enduring emotions, and about survival.

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Review:

" "Absent "opens a door to a view of Iraqi life we have seldom seen. With a compassionate eye Khedairi explores a community, damaged by wars and sanctions, struggling for survival."
- Elizabeth Cox, author of "The Slow Moon"
" A fascinating book and a great pleasure to read: Betool Khedairi is a talented new voice in fiction."
- Alaa Al Aswany, author of "The Yacoubian Building"
" Absent is an important book in the way that "The Grapes of Wrath" and "The Kite Runner "are important books. Betool Khedairi performs the miraculous feat of transforming Iraq from an abstraction into a world populated by real people devastated by the intrusions of an empire on the other side of the globe."
- Sarah Bird, author of "The Flamenco Academy"
" A strong new voice in Iraqi literature."
- Radio Free Europe
" Brilliant, funny and disturbing, Absent portrays an unforgettable struggle for dignity in a world under siege."
- Teresa Carpenter, author of "The Miss Stone Affair"

""Absent "opens a door to a view of Iraqi life we have seldom seen. With a compassionate eye Khedairi explores a community, damaged by wars and sanctions, struggling for survival."
-Elizabeth Cox, author of "The Slow Moon"
"A fascinating book and a great pleasure to read: Betool Khedairi is a talented new voice in fiction."
-Alaa Al Aswany, author of "The Yacoubian Building"
"Absent is an important book in the way that "The Grapes of Wrath" and "The Kite Runner "are important books. Betool Khedairi performs the miraculous feat of transforming Iraq from an abstraction into a world populated by real people devastated by the intrusions of an empire on the other side of the globe."
-Sarah Bird, author of "The Flamenco Academy"
"A strong new voice in Iraqi literature."
-Radio Free Europe
"Brilliant, funny and disturbing, Absent portrays an unforgettable struggle for dignity in a world under siege."
-Teresa Carpenter, author of "The Miss Stone Affair"

"Absent "opens a door to a view of Iraqi life we have seldom seen. With a compassionate eye Khedairi explores a community, damaged by wars and sanctions, struggling for survival.
Elizabeth Cox, author of "The Slow Moon"
A fascinating book and a great pleasure to read: Betool Khedairi is a talented new voice in fiction.
Alaa Al Aswany, author of "The Yacoubian Building"
Absent is an important book in the way that "The Grapes of Wrath" and "The Kite Runner "are important books. Betool Khedairi performs the miraculous feat of transforming Iraq from an abstraction into a world populated by real people devastated by the intrusions of an empire on the other side of the globe.
Sarah Bird, author of "The Flamenco Academy"
A strong new voice in Iraqi literature.
Radio Free Europe
Brilliant, funny and disturbing, Absent portrays an unforgettable struggle for dignity in a world under siege.
Teresa Carpenter, author of "The Miss Stone Affair""

Absent opens a door to a view of Iraqi life we have seldom seen. With a compassionate eye Khedairi explores a community, damaged by wars and sanctions, struggling for survival.
Elizabeth Cox, author of The Slow Moon
A fascinating book and a great pleasure to read: Betool Khedairi is a talented new voice in fiction.
Alaa Al Aswany, author of The Yacoubian Building
Absent is an important book in the way that The Grapes of Wrath and The Kite Runner are important books. Betool Khedairi performs the miraculous feat of transforming Iraq from an abstraction into a world populated by real people devastated by the intrusions of an empire on the other side of the globe.
Sarah Bird, author of The Flamenco Academy
A strong new voice in Iraqi literature.
Radio Free Europe
Brilliant, funny and disturbing, Absent portrays an unforgettable struggle for dignity in a world under siege.
Teresa Carpenter, author of The Miss Stone Affair"

"Absent opens a door to a view of Iraqi life we have seldom seen. With a compassionate eye Khedairi explores a community, damaged by wars and sanctions, struggling for survival."
-Elizabeth Cox, author of The Slow Moon

"A fascinating book and a great pleasure to read: Betool Khedairi is a talented new voice in fiction."
-Alaa Al Aswany, author of The Yacoubian Building

"Absent is an important book in the way that The Grapes of Wrath and The Kite Runner are important books. Betool Khedairi performs the miraculous feat of transforming Iraq from an abstraction into a world populated by real people devastated by the intrusions of an empire on the other side of the globe."
-Sarah Bird, author of The Flamenco Academy

"A strong new voice in Iraqi literature."
-Radio Free Europe

"Brilliant, funny and disturbing, Absent portrays an unforgettable struggle for dignity in a world under siege."
-Teresa Carpenter, author of The Miss Stone Affair

About the Author:

Betool Khedairi was born in Baghdad in 1965 to an Iraqi father and a Scottish mother. She received a B.A. in French literature from the University of Mustansiriya and then traveled between Iraq, Jordan, and the United Kingdom, working in the food industry while writing her first novel, A Sky So Close, published in Arabic in 1999 and now translated into English, Italian, French, and Dutch. She currently lives in Amman. Muhayman Jamil was born in Baghdad. He is currently an associate specialist in palliative medicine in London.

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