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Commemorate National Arab American Heritage Month at the New York Society Library. Here is a sampling of works of award-winning fiction and nonfiction from our general collection as well as our children’s and young adult collections by noted contemporary Arab American authors with roots throughout the Arab world and its diaspora.
In our general stacks:
Alameddine, Rabih, The Wrong End of the Telescope
- Winner of the 2022 Pen/Faulkner Award for Fiction
- Winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the Arab American Book Award
- A Best Book of the Year: NPR •NYLON • Kirkus • Bustle • BookPage
Arafat, Zaina, You Exist too Much: A Novel
- Lambda Literary Award Winner
Darraj, Susan Mauddi, Behind You Is the Sea: A Novel
- “Behind You Is the Sea fearlessly confronts stereotypes about Palestinian culture, weaving a remarkable portrait of life's intricate moments, from joyous weddings to heart-wrenching funerals, from shattered hearts to hidden truths—I wept and grew alongside this family. This is a story that challenges perceptions, offering a heartfelt glimpse into the interior lives of those who call this community home. A must read novel with unforgettable characters and an unwavering, fresh voice—I couldn’t put it down until the very last page! Darraj delivers an instant, necessary, and authentic classic to the cannon of Arab-American literature.”—Etaf Rum, author of Evil Eye and A Woman Is No Man
Hayoun, Massoud, When we were Arabs: a Jewish family’s forgotten history
- Winner of the Arab American Book Award
- Named one of the best books of the year by NPR
Lalami, Laila, The Other Americans
- National Book Award Finalist
- One of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time
Naga, Noor, If an Egyptian cannot speak English: A Novel
- Winner of the 2022 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize
- Winner of the 2023 Arab American Book Award for Fiction
- Shortlisted for the 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize
- Shortlisted for the 2023 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award
- Shortlisted for the 2022 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award
- An NPR Best Book of the Year
Children/Young Adult
Abtahi, Olivia, Perfectly Parvin
- A 2023 Sequoyah Book Award Nominee (OK)
- A 2023 Texas Lone Star Reading List Pick
- A 2022 Golden Kite Honor Award Winner
- A 2022–2023 Georgia Peach Book Award Nominee
- A 2022 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Pick
- A 2022 ALA Rise: A Feminist Book Project List Pick
- A 2021 New York Public Library Best Book Pick
- A 2021 Chicago Public Library Best Book Pick
- A 2021 BuzzFeed Best Young Adult Pick
- A Book Riot Must Read YA Romance Pick
- A timely and necessary read for all communities to reflect upon. -- Kirkus Reviews
- "A terrifyingly fun read."―The New York Times
Kazi, Natasha Khan, Moon's Ramadan
- A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
- A School Library Journal Best Book
- A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book
Khalil, Aya, The Night Before Eid
- A CCBC Children’s Choice Best Book of the Year
Khan, Sara, Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr
- "In this title, readers are invited to join little Raya and her family in their magical celebrations for Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr! Extra content includes a 16-page fun factivity section featuring a quiz, crafts and a recipe for Ramadan cookies.”―The Bookseller
Mohammadi, Hadi, In the Meadow of Fantasies
- "This fantastical adventure draws readers in with lyrical text and mesmerizing illustrations. Each page turn reveals a new layer of fantasy . . . Deft composition pairs slightly rough, stonelike textures with exquisite details . . . Though the story is ultimately joyous, there’s an emotionally compelling sense of longing that thrums just under the surface."
--Kirkus Reviews
Muhammad, Ibtihaj, The kindest red : a story of hijab and friendship
- A Children's Book Council Librarian Favorite
Nazemian, Abdi, Only This Beautiful Moment
- Stonewall Book Award Winner * A Best Book of the Year from the Guardian, ALA Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and BookPage
Saedi, Sara, I Miss You, I Hate This
- A Kirkus Best Young Adult Book of the Year 2021
Youssef, Bassam, The Magical Reality of Nadia
- "In this heartfelt tale, Youseff and Daly strike a solid balance between magical worldbuilding, witty humor, and a unifying anti-xenophobic theme."–Publishers Weekly
- A School Library Journal Best Book of 2021
- A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2021
- An ALA 2022 Notable Children’s Book
- A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
- Society of Illustrators Original Art Show Selection
- A New York Public Library 2021 Summer Recommendation Reading List Pick
- A 2021 Nerdy Book Club Award Winner for Best Nonfiction Picture Book
- A 2022 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List title
- An Ontario Library Association Best Bets Top Ten List
- A Wisconsin State Reading Association 2022 Picture This Recommendation
- A CCBC 2022 Best Choice of the Year
- "The collaborators behind In My Mosque cross continents and countries to celebrate Ramadan’s joys and traditions in this painstakingly detailed book. Yuksel’s sensate prose conveys specific practices... especially the wait for iftar, while Aly’s energetic illustrations draw on culturally specific Islamic art and architecture, imparting the season’s tenets and its communal feel." — Publishers Weekly
Zaman, Farida, Aliya's Secret: A Story of Ramadan
- "Drawing from her own experiences, Zaman provides a helpful look into the basic practices of Ramadan ... A cheerful and relatable tale of a young girl finding the perfect way to celebrate Ramadan." ― Kirkus Reviews
Thanks to Leah Freeman and Susan Vincent Molinaro for compiling this list of books acquired in the past five years.
