{"title":"Yumna Kassab","description":"\u003cp\u003eWelcome to our collection of works by \u003cem\u003eYumna Kassab\u003c\/em\u003e, a distinguished voice in contemporary literature. Renowned for her evocative storytelling, Kassab has captivated readers with her ability to weave intricate narratives that delve deeply into the human experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOne of her standout works, \u003cem\u003eThe House of Youssef\u003c\/em\u003e, offers a poignant exploration of family life, identity, and the immigrant experience. Kassab's prose is noted for its clarity and subtlety, inviting readers to ponder the delicate balances within personal relationships and cultural identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKassab's books fall within the \u003cstrong\u003eGeneral Fiction\u003c\/strong\u003e category, yet they transcend conventional storytelling by providing insights into cultural nuances and the universal themes of love, belonging, and resilience. Her work continues to resonate with readers who appreciate thought-provoking narratives that reflect the complexities of modern life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExplore Yumna Kassab’s literary collection and discover stories that promise both intellectual engagement and emotional depth. Whether you are new to her writing or looking to complete your collection, you are in for an enriching reading experience.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-house-of-youssef-by-yumna-kassab-9781925818192","title":"The House of Youssef","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShortlisted for the 2020 NSW Premier's Literary Awards UTS Glenda Adas Award for New Writing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLonglisted for the Stella Prize 2020\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShortlisted for the 2020 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards: Fiction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe House of Youssef\u003c\/i\u003e is a collection of short stories set in Western Sydney. The stories explore the lives of Lebanese migrants who have settled in the area, circling around themes of isolation, family and community, and nostalgia for the home country. In particular, \u003ci\u003eThe House of Youssef\u003c\/i\u003e is about relationships, and the customs which complicate them: between parents and children, the dark secrets of marriage, the breakable bonds between friends. The stories are told with extreme minimalism—some are only two pages long—which heightens their emotional intensity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe collection is framed by two soliloquies. The first expresses the longing of an old man for the homeland he will never return to. The second is the monologue of a woman, who could be his wife, addressed to her daughter, about life and its disappointments. The two central sequences are composed of vignettes which focus on moments of domestic crisis and which combine, in the title sequence, to chart the demise of a single family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKassab portrays the lives of ordinary people—simple, unglamorous, down-to-earth. Her understated style isolates small details and the anxieties that lurk within them. The tiny shifts in a normal day are an entire world to the people at the centre of her stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46716875309292,"sku":"9781925818192","price":32.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/18507253482873.jpg?v=1754449552"},{"product_id":"goodbye-my-love-by-yumna-kassab-9781761153303","title":"Goodbye, My Love","description":"\u003cp\u003e‘that wildly inventive scriptomaniac’\u003cb\u003e—\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e, Australian books to look forward to in 2026\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhen she finally left, like properly totally completely left,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eit shouldn’t have come as a surprise.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe signs were there.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmina's marriage to Amin was supposed to be a new beginning, instead, it became an inescapable end. Even after the divorce, the shadow of their relationship clings to her, defining her life long after they part.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSet within the intricate world of an Arab community, the story of these once-lovers explores the devastating impact of a failed marriage from its heady beginning to its bitter end. From the outset, it's clear this is a story of departure, yet Amina's physical leaving is only the very first step.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLike Lot's wife, forbidden to look back at her razed city, Amina is meant to move forward, but how can she when the past is burned into her soul?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePRAISE FOR \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE LOVERS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE MILES FRANKLIN LITERARY AWARD\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘her writing is poetic and reverential. The author’s understanding of love, romance and of responsibility runs deep.’ \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e–Books + Publishing\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Sometimes, Kassab shows us, love can be another word for cruelty. Sometimes the stories we hide behind reveal our deepest truths.’ \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e–Sydney Morning Herald\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Beautifully told in Yumna Kassab's poetic prose, \u003ci\u003eThe Lovers\u003c\/i\u003e is both the story of the tumultuous relationship between Amir and Jamila and an exploration of class, culture and the complex nature of love.’\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e–Sunday Life\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘The delicate power that fables hold – their universality, while retaining their specificity – is captured in \u003ci\u003eThe Lovers\u003c\/i\u003e. Ultimately, Kassab’s novel rests on the premise of the “impossibility of language, of being able to ever understand someone else”.’\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e –ArtsHub\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘a raw, haunting and honest look at love, relationships, and the moments that break us.’ \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e–Mamamia\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47288470798572,"sku":"9781761153303","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/4907d1cba8e56a2a1a3e2f47b0ae5c20.jpg?v=1770631119"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/yumna-kassab.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}