“Against The Loveless World” by Susan Abulhawa (Palestine)
Winner of the Palestine Book Award 2020

Synopsis

As Nahr sits, locked away in solitary confinement, she spends her days reflecting on the dramatic events that landed her in prison in a country she barely knows. Born in Kuwait in the 70s to Palestinian refugees, she dreamed of falling in love with the perfect man, raising children, and possibly opening her own beauty salon. Instead, the man she thinks she loves jilts her after a brief marriage, her family teeters on the brink of poverty, she’s forced to prostitute herself, and the US invasion of Iraq makes her a refugee, as her parents had been. After trekking through another temporary home in Jordan, she lands in Palestine, where she finally makes a home, falls in love, and her destiny unfolds under Israeli occupation.

* * * * * * * * *

Review

“Against the Loveless World” is a gripping and beautifully written novel that left many readers in our group deeply moved. From its very first pages, the book’s harrowing yet lyrical storytelling kept people engaged, with several saying they couldn’t put it down. Abulhawa crafts an effective structure—shifting between the claustrophobic present of the narrator’s prison cell and vivid flashbacks—that maintains momentum while slowly revealing the mystery of how she ended up incarcerated. The characters are richly drawn and memorable, and readers felt genuinely enriched by getting to know them. Many also praised the evocative descriptions of landscape, food, and daily life, which made the world feel both intimate and alive.

Though some found certain stylistic elements less convincing—particularly the sections involving freedom fighters—and felt the story sagged slightly in the middle, the overall impact remained powerful. The blend of love story and geopolitical narrative resonated strongly, especially given current events in Palestine, which the novel helped illuminate with emotional clarity. The romance at the heart of the book was described as honest, raw, and quietly profound, offering a moment of shared humanity between two broken people. While a few felt the ending leaned toward an overly hopeful, almost cinematic resolution, others appreciated that note of hope in an otherwise daunting and tragic story. Ultimately, readers agreed that “Against the Loveless World” is a valuable, compelling work—the best book-club read yet, according to one reader—capturing a world under threat and offering insight, emotion, and an unforgettable blend of political and personal storytelling.

This first book of Season 26 scored 9 out of 10.

* * * * * * * * *

Nicola’s Book Club reading list

Season 26 – Book Award Winners (Nov 2025 – May 2026)

“Against The Loveless World” by Susan Abulhawa (Palestine) – Winner of the Palestine Book Award 2020
“A Brief History of Seven Killings” by Marlon James (Jamaica) – Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2015
“Lost Children Archive” by Valeria Luiselli (Mexico) – Winner of the Dublin Literary Award 2021
“The Garden of Evening Mists” by Tan Twan Eng (Malaysia) – Winner of the Man Asian Literary Prize 2012