\u201cThe Arsonists\u2019 City<\/a>\u201d by Hala Alyan<\/a>, published by HarperCollins in 2021, is the story of a family, spanning generations and decades. It\u2019s also the story of Lebanon, of Syria, of Palestine and of the trauma inflicted on their people \u2014 trauma that gets passed down to future generations.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a fan of character-driven, multi-generational family stories, then this is the book for you. It\u2019s also a story about homeland and immigration, and being a child of immigrants. Unlike most books about Arab American families, this one feels grounded in reality and doesn\u2019t stereotype the characters in any way. Take a look at our review to decide if \u201cThe Arsonists\u2019 City\u201d is your next read.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Arsonists\u2019 City\u201d by Hala Alyan follows the story of the Nasr family: a Syrian mother, a Lebanese father and three adult children who were born and raised in California. Focusing at first on the children \u2014 Ava, Mimi and Naj \u2014 the novel shows us that their lives are far from perfect. Ava is raising two kids and fixing her marriage after her husband\u2019s affair. Mimi is an aspiring rock star. But, now in his 30s, he\u2019s not so sure he\u2019ll ever find success. Instead he lives in the shadow of his younger sister, Naj, whose music career has taken off. She lives in Beirut, performing and partying, while keeping her queerness a secret from most of her family.<\/p>\n Their grandfather passed away recently, leaving behind the family home in Beirut. Idris, their father, is determined to sell it, despite the rest of the family\u2019s protests. He insists on spending the summer in Lebanon, and Mazna, his wife, guilts the children into joining them.<\/p>\n The story also flashes back to 1970s Syria when Mazna was a teenager performing in plays and dreaming of moving out of the country and away from her conservative parents to become an actress. The story then follows Mazna, and we see how she and Idris meet. Unbeknownst to Mazna\u2019s parents, Idris takes her on weekend trips to a war-torn Beirut, where she stays with his wealthy family, pretending to be friends with his sister so as not to arouse suspicion. Idris is in love with Mazna, but she does not love him back. Her attention is drawn to Idris\u2019 best friend, a Palestinian refugee named Zakaria.<\/p>\n The novel takes us through the lives of the Nasr family members as they come to terms with their pasts and who they have become. When the family converges in Lebanon, secrets and truths are revealed, forcing the Nasrs to come together and confront their issues.<\/p>\n Editorial note:<\/em><\/strong> You may also enjoy our review of “The Memory Police”<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\u2018The Arsonists\u2019 City\u2019 Summary: Following a Mixed Arab Family From California to Lebanon and Syria<\/h2>\n