Lead Review (Before the Queen Falls Asleep)

• Book: Before the Queen Falls Asleep
• Location: Jordan, Kuwait, Palestine
• Author: Huzama Habayeb, Kay Heikkinen (Translator)

Review Author: tripfiction

This novel seems like a pertinent choice, given what is happening in the Middle East at the moment. It offers a real sense of the people of Palestine and how the diaspora strives to keep the their culture alive, flourishing and relevant.

Jihad has a strange history, in that she is born in Palestine as a girl but is raised by her parents as a boy. She herself goes on to have a daughter, Maleka, and this is the story of Jihad, now in middle age, sharing tales and stories with Maleka before the latter heads off to University.

There is a particular poignancy in the narrative, which is brought to life in the translation, although the prose can feel a little over-written at times. The novel opens with passion and moves into a measured story of people and place. Many characters pass through the novel and keeping hold of them as a reader can prove to be a challenge. An interesting and unusual read.

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