Mother of All Pigs

September 25, 2017
Halasa’s debut novel focuses on a Jordanian family marked by an inability to discuss problems. Caught between their minority Christian heritage and the successive waves of Muslim refugees, the Sabas family struggles to stay afloat as the Syrian civil war rages nearby. Traditional matriarch Fadhma mourns that most of her 13 children have emigrated to the United States and that her stepson Hussein drinks. Her adult daughter, Samira seems resigned to her old maid role, but takes on dangerous missions for a Syrian women’s political organization. Hussein’s foray into pig farming, aided by his mercenary and profiteering uncle, ensures a level of wealth for the family but raises the hackles of the local Muslim population. Into this heady mix of social pressures, two new arrivals threaten the delicate stability of the family: Fadhma’s granddaughter Muna comes to Jordan from America seeking to understand the life her father fled, and, almost simultaneously, a former army subordinate of Hussein’s appears and roils his suppressed memories. The swirl of secrets, diverging story lines, flashbacks, and even interior monologues from a pig sometimes confuses. Still, Halasa’s sharp critiques and deadpan humor make for a captivating exploration of the intricacies of the modern Middle East.

November 1, 2017

In this first novel from Halasa (Syria Speaks: Art and Culture from the Frontline; Transit Tehran: Young Iran and Its Inspirations), cousin Muna, a visitor from America, serves as an examiner and witness to the relationships and intimate lives of the large Sabas family, who live in Jordan in a small town near the Syrian border. Fadhma is the family matriarch and mother of Hussein, who owns a butcher shop and the Marvellous Emporium, a store carrying all types of merchandise. Always catering to the changing whims of his Muslim, Christian, and nonreligious customers, Hussein buys a pig to breed. Disobeying the religious rules against distributing and eating pork, he shelters this "mother of all pigs" on an isolated farm and gets into serious trouble with the local sheikh and his men. Contemporary political and military events, including the current Syrian refugee crisis, encroach on the family. A wayward soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder returns to town, and Hussein's half-sister Samira joins a group of female freedom fighters in order to create a more meaningful life for herself. The struggles of being female in the Middle East, which include stringent cultural demands and discrimination, are thoroughly documented in this timely novel. VERDICT Extraordinary storytelling and a well-balanced tone make this exceptional work highly recommended for discerning readers.--Lisa Rohrbaugh, Leetonia Community P.L., OH

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