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The Lebs

Miles Franklin Literary Award Finalist
By Michael Mohammed Ahmad
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Check link for latest rating. ( 1,306 ratings, 157 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Lebs by Michael Mohammed Ahmad offers a vivid narrative about Bani Adam, a teenager navigating his way through the challenges of growing up in a predominantly Lebanese-Australian community in Sydney. As he confronts cultural identity and societal expectations, Bani attempts to reconcile his dual identity amidst a backdrop of prejudice and misunderstanding. The story explores themes of belonging, identity, and the complexities of multiculturalism.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3499
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy exploring the complexities of identity and belonging, as it offers a vivid and unflinching portrayal of growing up in a multicultural society. It delves into the life of a young immigrant navigating the challenges of cultural expectations, prejudice, and the pursuit of one's individuality.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A confronting new novel from award winning Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelist Michael Mohammed Ahmad.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
FINALIST FOR THE MILES FRANKLIN LITERARY AWARDS 2019
WINNER OF THE NSW PREMIERS LITERARY AWARDS MULTICULTURAL NSW AWARD 2019

'Bani Adam thinks he's better than us!' they say over and over until finally I shout back, 'Shut up, I have something to say!'

They all go quiet and wait for me to explain myself, redeem myself, pull my shirt out, rejoin the pack. I hold their anticipation for three seconds, and then, while they're all ablaze, I say out loud, 'I do think I'm better.'

As far as Bani Adam is concerned, Punchbowl Boys is the arse end of the earth. Though he's a Leb and they control the school, Bani feels at odds with the other students, who just don't seem to care. He is a romantic in a sea of hypermasculinity.

Bani must come to terms with his place in this hostile, hopeless world, while dreaming of so much more.

Praise for The Lebs:

'an open-eyed and highly charismatic novel broiling with fight, tenderness and ambition.' - Big Issue

The Lebs is a strong and resonant novel that deserves to be widely read.' - Weekend Australian

The author never lets his superb command of idiom or his eye for the absurd overwhelm a deeply felt exploration of the hurt and damage that can come from encounters with the Australian Other. No one who reads The Lebs deserves to come out unscathed.' - The Saturday Paper

Ahmad's piercing storytelling cuts away at the lace and trimmings of race relations in Australia today.' - The Lifted Brow

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Lebs by Michael Mohammed Ahmad is praised for its vivid and compelling storytelling, delivering an utterly authentic narrative. The book's vibrant and candid portrayal of its characters and themes provides a resonant and engaging experience for readers. It is recognised for its charismatic nature, combining elements of fight, tenderness, and ambition, with a distinct voice and complex character in Bani Adam leading the journey.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780733639012

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 27 February 2018

Country: Australia

Imprint: Hachette Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 136.0mm

Height: 208.0mm

Weight: 280g

Pages: 272

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Michael Mohammed Ahmad

About the Author

Michael Mohammed Ahmad is the founding director of Sweatshop Literacy Movement and editor of the critically acclaimed anthology After Australia (Affirm Press, 2020). Mohammed's debut novel, The Tribe (Giramondo, 2014), won the 2015 Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelists of the Year Award. His second novel, The Lebs (Hachette Australia, 2018), won the 2019 NSW Premier's Multicultural Literary Award and was shortlisted for the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award. Mohammed received his Doctorate of Creative Arts from Western Sydney University in 2017.

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  • The Tribe
    A path-breaking prize-winning novel, published to acclaim ten years ago, now presented in a new edition with an introduction by Dr Jumana Bayeh. For the last three decades, the representation of Arab-Australian Muslims has been coloured by media reports of sexual assault, drug-dealing, drive-by shootings, and terrorist conspiracy. This has made it difficult to understand a community which plays an...
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    The devastating and gritty fourth novel from Miles Franklin shortlisted author, Michael Mohammed Ahmad. Some scars can never be seen, but will always be felt . . . long after the damage is done. Hamoodi may only be ten years old, but he already knows that to speak out is dangerous. Lessons from the motherland have taught him that standing...
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    The Tribe is a collection of three novellas portraying life in an extended Muslim Allawite Lebanese-Australian family, as seen by one of its youngest members. The first novella describes the family house in the Sydney suburb of Alexandria, and the three generations who live, often in some discord, in its rooms. The second details the marriage of a cousin, and...
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