How did your reading go this month? In April, we celebrated Arab American culture and heritage. Did you read something that featured Arabic culture and history? Share in the comments.

Against the Loveless World tells the stories of central character Nahr, the people who orbit her life, and Palestine. Told through flashes between the present where Nahr is locked in ‘the cube’ in solitary confinement and the past where Nahr details her life and the decisions that led her to the cube, all Nahr can do is reflect on what landed her in prison.

Born in Kuwait in the 1970s into a family of Palestinian refugees, Nahr dreams of falling in love and marrying her perfect man, raising multiple children, and opening her own beauty salon. Her dreams take a turn when her husband abandons her after their brief marriage, she turns to prostitution to save her family from complete poverty, and the United States invades Iraq forcing Nahr and her family to leave, becoming refugees yet again. Nahr travels to Jordan, eventually landing in Palestine where it seems like her life has finally taken a turn for the better after she finds a home, meets the love of her life, and finds a purpose while under Israeli occupation.

If someone had given me Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa without telling me anything about it, I would have thought that this was a work of nonfiction because of the intense descriptions and richly detailed stories. Abulhawa has written an informative blend of fact and fiction full of epic and defiant characters determined to fight for themselves and their community no matter the cost. It’s very rare that a book leaves me speechless trying to describe it, but this one was absolutely spectacular.

Next month, we will be reading about Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

In addition to following the Online Reading Challenge here on our Info Cafe blog, you can join our Online Reading Challenge group on Goodreads and discuss your reads!