Susan Abulhawa Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Collections

About Susan Abulhawa

The Palestinian American author Susan Abulhawa is well known for her writing, as well as her political activism. With a strong and passionate voice, she has opined upon a number of different topics, including the status of Palestine and the politics surrounding it. She is an impassioned author with a lot to say, knowing and understanding her audience well, seen in both her speaking and her writing. This is something that has found her an audience around the world, reaching readers from all over and from all backgrounds.

Creating a unique and innovative style, she really does have a strong niche within the industry that sets her apart as a singular voice. She’s often speaking out about different political, but she largely focuses upon Palestine, giving interviews and panels around the world. Through her fiction as well, she’s reached many different readers, delivering a number of different themes and ideas through her work. With a powerful undercurrent to her work, she definitely doesn’t hold back when saying exactly what it is that she wants to say.

She’s also conducted a lot of activist work over the years too, creating an NGO for Palestinian children called ‘Playgrounds for Palestine.’ This has seen playgrounds set-up in the UN refugee camps of Lebanon and Palestine, creating a space for children, the first of which was created in 2002. Alongside her important activist work, she has also written both fiction and non-fiction work, making a name for herself throughout the literary industry. She does not appear to be stopping any time soon either, as she continues to write on a regular and consistent basis, all whilst continuing her essential activist work.

Early and Personal Life

Born in 1970 on the 3rd of June, Susan Abulhawa was born in Kuwait, and her parents were born in At-Tur in Jerusalem. They were refugees of the 1967 war there, as her father was expelled by gunpoint, heading to Jordan where he reunited with Susan’s mother who had been studying German. They then went to Kuwait where the brought up Susan, as she would grow up with a keen passion for both reading and writing.

Educated she would continue to write regularly, building upon her craft as a writer, refining and honing her voice. This would develop over time, as she would also show a keen interest in science too, leading to her writing for various medical journals for a variety of different drug companies. Currently living in Yardley in Pennsylvania, she will carry on writing and working as an activist for quite some time to come yet.

Writing Career

The debut novel of Susan Abulhawa would be titled ‘Mornings in Jenin’ and it would come out in 2006 under the original title of ‘The Scar of David.’ This would attract a lot of attention upon its first release, coming out under the name ‘Mornings in Jenin’ in 2010 through the Bloomsbury label. Translated into different languages, it would reach an international audience, becoming a bestseller all across the world.

She would also go on to release a series of other books over the years too, and many of these would feature stand-alone works surrounding political issues and situations. Winning many awards for her novels too, she’s not without critical acclaim either, receiving awards for both her fiction and non-fiction work. As an author she’s built a strong profile over time, whilst also maintaining a presence as an activist too, establishing a profile both online and off.

Mornings in Jenin

Originally published in 2006 as ‘Scar of David,’ this would later be released in 2010 under the title ‘Mornings in Jenin,’ and it would a stand-alone book. Published on the 15th of February, this would come out through Bloomsbury, and it would be the literary debut for Susan Abulhawa as an author. Working as a piece of historical fiction, it would tell a story from a period in history, ultimately shining a light on it.

This casts a light on a period of major turmoil in Palestinian history, looking at it from the perspective of the Palestinians themselves. Paying close attention to detail Abulhawa has researched this well, making it feel wholly realistic and highly immersive throughout. The characters are also very well drawn, bringing the reader into their story and world, and giving them a clearer idea of what it was actually like.

Taking place in 1948, this sees the Abulhejas family being forcibly removed from their home, the ancient village of Ein Hod, by Israeli forces. With the forming the new state of Israel, they’re uprooted to the Jenin refugee camp, and then the eldest son falls victim to an Israeli bullet, but not before fathering a family. Growing up in this is Amal, the granddaughter of the family patriarch, as she deals with the hardships and the strife of the world around her. Finding love and friendships amidst it all, Amal manages to hold it together despite the difficulty, as she looks to share and preserve her history through her own daughter.

Against the Loveless World

First released on the 19th of April in 2019, this would come out through Atria Books, and it would be an entirely stand-alone novel. Marking a period in history once more, it’s another book that looks at a period in time, this time being a lot more recent. The story itself is fictional, with Abulhawa using elements of her own life and experience to help inspire the events in the story.

Sitting in solitary confinement, Nahr looks back upon the events that all led up to her being imprisoned in a country that’s alien to her. Born to Palestinian refugees during the 1970s, she grows up in Kuwait to face a short-lived marriage where she’s left, followed by her turning to prostitution and then the US invasion of Iraq. This upends her once more, as she moves through Jordan, coming to find a home in Palestine, where she finds love and peace of mind. That doesn’t last long, though, as the Israeli occupation heads her way, uprooting her once more, finding that she now faces a new situation.