Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for Fencing with the King by Diana Abu-Jaber - Available

Fencing with the King

A Novel

by Diana Abu-Jaber
Rasha Zamamiri
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available

A mesmerizing breakthrough novel of family myths and inheritances by the award-winning author of Crescent. Featuring a heartfelt author's note read by the author herself.


Amani is hooked on a mystery―a poem on airmail paper that slips out of one of her father's books. It seems to have been written by her grandmother, a refugee who arrived in Jordan during the First World War. Soon the perfect occasion to investigate arises: her Uncle Hafez, an advisor to the King of Jordan, invites her father to celebrate the king's sixtieth birthday―and to fence with the king, as in their youth. Her father has avoided returning to his homeland for decades, but Amani persuades him to come with her. Uncle Hafez will make their time in Jordan complicated―and dangerous―after Amani discovers a missing relative and is launched into a journey of loss, history, and, eventually, a fight for her own life.


Fencing with the King masterfully draws on King Lear and Arthurian fable to explore the power of inheritance, the trauma of displacement, and whether we can release the past to build a future.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    March 15, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781667067315
      • File size: 320389 KB
      • Duration: 11:07:28

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 24, 2022
      Abu-Jaber (Crescent) places a family in the crosshairs of Jordanian political intrigue in this nicely layered story. In 1995, recently divorced poet Amani Hamdan encourages her father Gabe to accept an invitation to return to his native Jordan for a fencing demonstration alongside the king. Amani, intrigued to learn more about a mysterious poem written by her deceased grandmother, accompanies him on her first trip there. They stay with Gabe’s older brother, Hafez, an influential government official who has schemed to lure Gabe and recover an ancient knife from him that belonged to their late father. Hafez views Amani as a potential protege but is unsettled by her questions about the family’s past, and while he plots to claim a lucrative swath of land near the Israeli border, which is ripe for settlement by Palestinian refugees, Amani tries to locate the places mentioned in her grandmother’s poem. She also uncovers a lost relative and catches the eye of a fencing instructor. Their romance takes up a good chunk of the final act, but it’s less gripping than the plot involving Hafez. Still, Abu-Jaber ably captures the tenuous role of Jordan in the mid-1990s Middle East peace process while unearthing a family’s buried secrets. It adds up to an engrossing family drama.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Accents abound and cultures rub shoulders in this fine audiobook production of Diana Abu-Jaber's compelling crossroads novel. Like the poet/protagonist, Amani, narrator Rasha Zamamiri serves as a bridge between American and Jordanian voices, rulers and hermits, males and females, aged and young. Amani's first-time impressions and her search for her heritage offer a privileged tour of Jordan in the 1990s. The occasion is the Jordanian king's 60th birthday celebration--with time for a little romance and family history. While Zamamiri will be a fresh voice for most listeners, the precision and range of her subtle and expressive performance are sure to impress. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      Starred review from January 13, 2023

      Award-winning author Abu-Jaber (Birds of Paradise) offers a layered story set in 1995 Jordan, examining cultural identity and family legacy. Separated from her husband and engulfed by struggles with alcohol and depression, poet and professor Amani Hamdan discovers a mysterious scrap of poetry written by her long-dead grandmother, Natalia. Hoping to unravel the mystery and escape from her professional and personal travails, Amani travels to Jordan with her father, Gabe, for King Hussein's 60th birthday. As part of the festivities, Gabe has been invited by his brother and royal-adviser Hafez, to participate in a choreographed fencing demonstration with the king. Meanwhile, Amani is drawn into her grandmother's hidden past, discovering devastating family secrets, which prompt her to re-evaluate her unmoored self. Palestinian American actor Rasha Zamamiri's exquisite narration captures the nuances of language and place. Zamamiri's authentic pronunciation and rich characterizations, from conflicted and desperate Hafez to quiet Gabe, communicate the complexity of Jordanian society and culture. VERDICT Abu-Jaber's latest, enhanced by Zamamiri's flawless narration, should be a part of every audio fiction collection. An excellent book group selection, and a winner for listeners seeking romance, mystery, action-adventure, and insight into Middle East history and politics.--Sarah Hashimoto

      Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading