Books by Isabella Hammad

“It’s a very accomplished piece of storytelling. It weaves history, politics, and family with a profound meditation on the purpose of art. It’s very nuanced, multi-layered, gorgeously written. And it’s original—because it plays with form. Parts of the book are written as a script, fo example. And it asks deep questions about the purpose of art: whether it can be a form of resistance; whether a play written centuries ago can resonate with the lives of people in the West Bank in the present day. It’s very subtle, its outlook. Very humane. It’s generous, compassionate. It’s a book you won’t necessarily romp through. But you sink into it, and then you really reap the rewards. There’s a lot of food for thought.” Read more...

Recent Fiction Highlights: The 2024 Women’s Prize Shortlist

Monica Ali, Novelist

“Ambition, bravery, freshness—The Parisian, a first novel, has all three in spades. It’s a rare talent that can take on the complications and shifting identities of early 20th-century Middle Eastern politics and keep the reader charmed. But through her hero, Midhat Kamal, Isabella Hammad does that and more. It takes a remarkable eye for detail and ear for dialogue to succeed in both broad panorama and delicate miniature.” Read more...

The Best Historical Fiction: The 2020 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist

Katharine Grant, Historical Novelist