The Arsonists' City

The Arsonists’ City by Hala Alyan is a profound and evocative family saga that weaves together personal histories and the broader canvas of historical events in the Middle East. The narrative centres around the Nasr family, a constellation scattered across the world yet anchored in their ancestral home in Beirut. Although life's trials have dispersed them—placing them in Beirut, Brooklyn, Austin, and the California desert—their shared history and family bonds persist as a unifying force.

At the heart of the story lies the conflict over the family's ancestral home. Following the recent death of the patriarch, Idris, the eldest son and new head of the family, decides to sell the beloved house that has long been a sanctuary. This decision ignites a fierce battle among the family members who converge in Beirut to preserve their heritage. Each returns with their secrets—unrequited loves, bitter rivalries, forsaken dreams, and deep-seated guilt—that have been hidden by geographical distance.

The return to Beirut not only rekindles old familial tensions but also exposes the surviving scars of the city itself, still grappling with the aftermath of war, a perpetual influx of refugees, religious divides, and political unrest. As these hidden truths and raw emotions surface, the fragile harmony that has kept the Nasrs bound together is jeopardised, and long-buried issues come to light, risking burning their already tenuous bonds to ashes.

This novel brims with wisdom, compassion, and vividly drawn characters brought to life by Alyan's extraordinary insight into the human condition. Award-winning author Hala Alyan skilfully blends a touching family drama with astute social and political commentary, affirming through her art that “fiction is often the best filter for the real world around us” (NPR).

“Feels revolutionary in its freshness.”—Entertainment Weekly

“The Arsonists’ City delivers all the pleasures of a good old-fashioned saga, but in Alyan’s hands, one family’s tale becomes the story of a nation—Lebanon and Syria, yes, but also the United States. It’s the kind of book we are lucky to have.” —Rumaan Alam

A rich family story, a personal look at the legacy of war in the Middle East, and an indelible rendering of how we hold on to the people and places we call home.