An intensely moving novel about three friends living in political exile and the emotional homeland that deep friendships can provide – from the Booker-shortlisted, Pulitzer prize-winning author
Khaled and Mustafa meet at university in Edinburgh- two Libyan eighteen-year-olds expecting to return home after their studies. In a moment of recklessness and courage, they travel to London to join a demonstration in front of the Libyan embassy. When government officials open fire on protestors in broad daylight, both friends are wounded, and their lives forever changed.
Over the years that follow, Khaled, Mustafa and their friend Hosam, a writer, are bound together by their shared history. If friendship is a space to inhabit, theirs becomes small and inhospitable when a revolution in Libya forces them to choose between the lives they have created in London and the lives they left behind.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 464
Imprint: Viking Penguin
Publication date: 11/01/2024
My Friends
By Hisham Matar
Review by Kazia
Matar’s writing has a way of seeping into your bones and hollowing out a space there. Emotional and poetic without being overly lyrical, there is a simple and meditative quality to the narration that contrasts with the complexity of what is being written. Friendship, grief, exile, love, literature – all are covered with an understated grace. Ever so gradually, this book gently but powerfully absorbs you. I frequently found myself pausing to re-read certain passages, wanting to slow down and soak it in deeply, giving it the sensitive reflection it deserves. Heartfelt, melancholic and hopeful – this is a book that will stay with you.
My Friends
by Hisham Matar
Review by Ray
This is a riveting and intensely moving novel about exile, family and home. Through thoughtful, nuanced and deeply emotional storytelling, I learnt so much about the political history of Libya without ever feeling like I was reading something ‘educational’. So beautifully written that I had to pause many times to take it all in. Melancholic without self-indulgence, poetic, breathtaking. I already know that this book will absolutely be one of my favourites of all of 2024.
Listen to Ray’s review on RDU:
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