Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for No Land to Light On by Yara Zgheib - Wait list

No Land to Light On

A Novel

by Yara Zgheib
Fajer Al-Kaisi
Audiobook
0 of 0 copies available
Place a hold Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
0 of 0 copies available
From the author of The Girls at 17 Swann Street comes a "masterful story of tragedy and redemption" (Hala Alyan, author of Salt Houses) "written in soul-searing prose" (BookPage, starred review) about a young Syrian couple in the throes of new love on the cusp of their bright future when a travel ban rips them apart on the eve of their son's premature birth.
Sama and Hadi are a young Syrian couple in love, dreaming of their future in the country that brought them together. Sama came to Boston years before on a prestigious Harvard scholarship; Hadi landed there as a sponsored refugee from a bloody civil war. Now, they are giddily awaiting the birth of their son, a boy whose native language will be freedom and belonging.

When Sama is five months pregnant, Hadi's father dies suddenly, and Hadi decides to fly back to Jordan for the funeral. He leaves America, promising his wife he'll be gone only for a few days. On the date of his return, Sama waits for him at the arrivals gate, but he doesn't appear. As the minutes and then hours pass, she becomes increasingly alarmed, unaware that Hadi has been stopped by US Customs and Border Protection, detained for questioning, and deported.

Achingly intimate yet poignantly universal, No Land to Light On is "a tense, moving novel about the meaning of home, the risks of exile, the power of nations, and the power of love" (Kirkus Reviews).

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    January 4, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781797137728
      • File size: 177844 KB
      • Duration: 06:10:30

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 15, 2021
      Zgheib’s moving if unbalanced sophomore effort (after The Girls of 17 Swann Street) chronicles how a 2017 U.S. executive order to ban travelers from Muslim countries from entering the country affects a married couple. Hadi Deeb, who suffered torture and imprisonment under the shabiha militia during the Syrian civil war, is invited in 2015 to speak at Harvard University about his life. There, he meets student Sama Zayat, and they soon get married. Sama left Syria to further her education shortly before the war escalated, and her dreamy reminiscences differ from Hadi’s memories of the country’s destruction. After Hadi hears of his father’s ailing health, he flies to see him in Jordan, but upon his attempt to return home to Boston, he is deported from Logan Airport to Jordan. Alone, Sama reels with fear and prematurely delivers their son, Naseem, whose odds of living are fairly low. Sama ultimately must choose between her husband and her adopted country. Many of the details leading up to this moment are heartfelt, with lots of heavy drama, which makes Zgheib’s open-ended conclusion feel a bit discordant and unsatisfying. This leaves a strange taste, but for the most part readers will enjoy Zgheib’s story of hope and perseverance. Agent: Janet Silver, Aevitas Creative Management. (Jan.)Correction: An earlier version of this review misstated the country to which one of the characters was deported.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Heartbreaking, powerful, and thought-provoking, this audiobook will stay with you long after you finish listening. A talented team of narrators perfectly match the characters and their joy, despair, hope, and uncertainty. Fajer Al-Kaisi portrays the narrator of the story, who provides important historical and political context. Sama, narrated by Suehyla El-Attar, and Hadi, voiced by Ali Andre Ali, came to the U.S. from Syria, met in Boston, fell in love, and are expecting a baby. When Hadi's father dies, he returns to Syria, promising to be home soon. Then the 2017 Trump travel ban takes effect, and Hadi is detained. As the story is told from alternating perspectives, the narrators are pitch- perfect in capturing the precariousness of the time. A must-listen! K.S.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      March 1, 2022

      Zgheib's (The Girls at 17 Swann Street) lyrical sophomore novel highlights the human cost incurred by Donald Trump's 2017 executive order, which prohibited refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. Hadi Deeb, a Syrian who has been granted legal refugee status, returns to Boston just as the travel ban has been enacted, only to be summarily deported to Jordan. Hadi's pregnant wife, Sama, who is trapped by the frenzied demonstrations outside of the airport, goes into labor and delivers their frighteningly premature son. Narrators Fajer Al-Kaisi, Ali Andre Ali, and Suehyla El-Attar work together to provide a window into Hadi and Sama's life before the chaos began, sensitively detailing a time when hope seemed possible. They poignantly capture not only lively domestic scenes, but also the bitter regret borne out of war and civil unrest. Listeners will be caught up in Hadi and Sama's panic and disorientation and will hope that they find safe harbor amid the chaos. VERDICT While the inconclusive ending may not appeal to all, this is recommended for listeners seeking an authentically told and emotionally resonant audio.--Sarah Hashimoto

      Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading
Check out what's being checked out right now Wisconsin's Digital Library is a project of the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC), with funding from Wisconsin Public Libraries and Public Library Systems. Additional support is provided by Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds awarded to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services