An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Almeddine

Author: Rabih Almeddine

Genre:  Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary

Synopsis:

Aaliya Sohbi lives alone in her Beirut apartment, surrounded by stockpiles of books. Godless, fatherless, divorced, and childless, Aaliya is her family’s "unnecessary appendage.” Every year, she translates a new favorite book into Arabic, then stows it away. The thirty-seven books that Aaliya has translated have never been read—by anyone. After overhearing her neighbors, "the three witches,” discussing her too-white hair, Aaliya accidentally dyes her hair too blue.

In this breathtaking portrait of a reclusive woman’s late-life crisis, readers follow Aaliya’s digressive mind as it ricochets across visions of past and present Beirut. Insightful musings on literature, philosophy, and art are invaded by memories of the Lebanese Civil War and Aaliya’s volatile past. As she tries to overcome her aging body and spontaneous emotional upwellings, Aaliya is faced with an unthinkable disaster that threatens to shatter the little life she has left.

A love letter to literature and its power to define who we are, the gifted Rabih Alameddine has given us a nuanced rendering of a single woman's reclusive life in the Middle East.

Format: Paperback, 291 Pages

Setting: Middle East

Awards: California Book Award for Fiction (Gold) (2014), Prix Femina for Étranger (2016), Arab American Book Award for Fiction (2015), PEN Open Book Award Nominee for Shortlist (2015), National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee for Fiction (2014), National Book Award Finalist for Fiction (2014)

Goodreads Rating: 3.82

*This book is pre-loved, but has been carefully looked through to ensure it is not missing any pages and is in good condition. All visible flaws have been documented in the product photos.