Susan Muaddi Darraj
Hardback
256 pages
Behind You Is the Sea is a compelling debut that fearlessly challenges stereotypes surrounding Palestinian culture. A Most Anticipated Book of 2024 by Ms Magazine, Lithub and ElleFunny and touching, Behind You Is the Sea brings us into the homes and lives of three main families – the Baladis, the Salamehs, and the Ammars – Palestinian immigrants who’ve all found a different welcome in America. Their various fates and struggles cause their community dynamic to sizzle and sometimes explode: the wealthy Ammar family employs young Maysoon Baladi, whose own family struggles financially, to clean up after their spoiled teenagers.
Meanwhile, Marcus Salameh confronts his father in an effort to protect his younger sister for ‘dishonouring’ their name. Only a trip to Palestine, where Marcus experiences an unexpected and dramatic transformation, can bridge this seemingly unbridgeable divide between the two generations. Behind You Is the Sea faces stereotypes about Palestinian culture head-on, shifting perspectives to weave a complex social fabric replete with weddings, funerals, broken hearts, and devastating secrets.
