About the book
Winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the Arab American Book Award
A Best Book of the Year: NPR • NYLON • Kirkus • Bustle • BookPage
\"What does home mean when you no longer have a house—or a homeland? This beautiful novel traces one Palestinian family’s struggle with that question and how it can haunt generations. . . . This is an example of how fiction is often the best filter for the real world around us.\" — NPR
Lyrical and heartbreaking, Salt Houses is a multigenerational saga that follows three generations of a Palestinian family and asks us to confront that most devastating of all truths: you can’t go home again.
On the eve of her daughter Alia’s wedding, Salma reads the girl’s future in a cup of coffee dregs. She sees an unsettled life for Alia and her children; she also sees travel and luck. While she chooses to keep her predictions to herself that day, they will all soon come to pass when the family is uprooted in the wake of the Six-Day War of 1967.
Salma is forced to leave her home in Nablus; Alia’s brother gets pulled into a politically militarized world he can’t escape; and Alia and her gentle-spirited husband move to Kuwait City, where they reluctantly build a life with their three children. When Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait in 1990, Alia and her family once again lose their home and their land, scattering to Beirut, Paris, Boston, and beyond. Soon Alia’s children begin families of their own, once again navigating the burdens (and blessings) of assimilation in foreign cities.
A remarkable work of diaspora fiction, Salt Houses is a debut novel that challenges and humanizes an age-old conflict we might think we understand.
Editions of Salt Houses
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781328915856
- EBook
- ISBN 9780544912380
Read an Excerpt
Winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the Arab American Book Award
A Best Book of the Year: NPR • NYLON • Kirkus • Bustle • BookPage
\"What does home mean when you no longer have a house—or a homeland? This beautiful novel traces one Palestinian family’s struggle with that question and how it can haunt generations. . . . This is an example of how fiction is often the best filter for the real world around us.\" — NPR
Lyrical and heartbreaking, Salt Houses is a multigenerational saga that follows three generations of a Palestinian family and asks us to confront that most devastating of all truths: you can’t go home again.
On the eve of her daughter Alia’s wedding, Salma reads the girl’s future in a cup of coffee dregs. She sees an unsettled life for Alia and her children; she also sees travel and luck. While she chooses to keep her predictions to herself that day, they will all soon come to pass when the family is uprooted in the wake of the Six-Day War of 1967.
Salma is forced to leave her home in Nablus; Alia’s brother gets pulled into a politically militarized world he can’t escape; and Alia and her gentle-spirited husband move to Kuwait City, where they reluctantly build a life with their three children. When Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait in 1990, Alia and her family once again lose their home and their land, scattering to Beirut, Paris, Boston, and beyond. Soon Alia’s children begin families of their own, once again navigating the burdens (and blessings) of assimilation in foreign cities.
A remarkable work of diaspora fiction, Salt Houses is a debut novel that challenges and humanizes an age-old conflict we might think we understand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Salt Houses about?
Winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the Arab American Book Award
A Best Book of the Year: NPR • NYLON • Kirkus • Bustle • BookPage
\"What does home mean when you no longer have a house—or a homeland? This beautiful novel traces one Palestinian family’s struggle with that question and how it can haunt generations. . . . This is an example of how fiction is often the best filter for the real world around us.\" — NPR
Lyrical and heartbreaking, Salt Houses is a multigenerational saga that follows three generations of a Palestinian family and asks us to confront that most devastating of all truths: you can’t go home again.
On the eve of her daughter Alia’s wedding, Salma reads the girl’s future in a cup of coffee dregs. She sees an unsettled life for Alia and her children; she also sees travel and luck. While she chooses to keep her predictions to herself that day, they will all soon come to pass when the family is uprooted in the wake of the Six-Day War of 1967.
Salma is forced to leave her home in Nablus; Alia’s brother gets pulled into a politically militarized world he can’t escape; and Alia and her gentle-spirited husband move to Kuwait City, where they reluctantly build a life with their three children. When Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait in 1990, Alia and her family once again lose their home and their land, scattering to Beirut, Paris, Boston, and beyond. Soon Alia’s children begin families of their own, once again navigating the burdens (and blessings) of assimilation in foreign cities.
A remarkable work of diaspora fiction, Salt Houses is a debut novel that challenges and humanizes an age-old conflict we might think we understand.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Salt Houses?
Fiction > Family life fiction / Stories about family
Where can I read a sample of Salt Houses?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781328915856
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Salt Houses?
Hala Alyan
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Salt Houses is available as paperback(ISBN 9781328915856) and ebook(ISBN 9780544912380)
Where can I buy Salt Houses online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Salt Houses from below
Where can I buy Salt Houses?