Beautifully written, this book transported me to the Middle East and I was glad to follow along with the ups and downs of this family.

<i>Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with an eARC of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

This story that spans two generations of a Syrian-Lebanese family from their native countries through their immigration to the United States and back again is utterly captivating. Even though it would flit between past and present and cycle through the point of view of various characters (the mother, Mazna, the father, Idris, and their three children, Ava, Mimi and Naj) I was completely engrossed the entire time and not confused or overwhelmed at all. The ending felt a bit drawn out, but it did tie up some loose ends that I was curious about. A heartwarming and yet heart-wrenching story that I could not put down.

5 stars just for the cover!!! An additional 5 stars for the story! Just wow! This book has family drama that spans the globe and it is believable. This should definitely be a must read for all book clubs, it is that good. Why isn't Oprah recommending this for hers? CALLING OPRAH, get with it (I'm serious)! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and a re-read for sure and I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley, Hala Alyan and Houghton Miflin Harcourt for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am definitely getting a copy of this at publication to own.

Available: 3/9/21

The book is excellent. It would make a great book club selection. There are many layers to dissect. However, it was a tough read for me. Not as bad as The Light Between Oceans (because that book will ruin your life) but still hard.
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The story is about a family. The father is Idris and he’s from Beirut. The mother, Mazna, is from Damascus. It’s the story of how they met, got married, and immigrated to California. Beirut is embroiled in a civil war in the late 1970’s when they meet. The immigrate for Idris’ medical residency. They have children and raise them in Southern California. The kids are adults when the book opens but it goes back and forth between several time periods before they were born, when they are young, and as adults. When Idris’ father dies in the present time the whole family goes back to Beirut to sell the family home.
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Obviously, the war is a rough thing for Idris and Mazna to live through. However, that wasn’t what I struggled with. All the members of the family are really selfish. It causes immense suffering among the other characters in the book. Towards the end they all are able to break out of their unhealthy cycles but most of the book is fraught with hurt and betrayal.
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It really is wonderfully written but I would have to stop periodically to take a breather because after a while I was frustrated with the whole family. Also, this is one of books that makes me want to travel. Beirut and Damascus sound FASCINATING! Only 16 years to go until my youngest in out of high school.

From the gorgeous cover to the last page and everything in between this is a moving emotional novel. The story of three siblings living across the US, called to their childhood summer home in Beirut due to its impending sale, the novel explores themes of siblings, marriage, parents, responsibility, nostalgia and what it means to be a part of a family - both as a child and as an adult. Alyan’s writing is lush and evocative, reading her descriptions of Beirut made me feel as if I were remembering something, even though I’ve never visited before. Her description of the family and their interactions were like coming home to your own family. It’s a touching novel that you won’t soon forget. **Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this free e-book in exchange for an honest review**

I received this book for free through Netgally in return for an honest review.

This book is a beautifully written, old-fashioned story. What I mean by that is that it is an elegant read, with surprises and insight, delving into relationships at a deep level. It's slow in places, but more languid than dull. It doesn't race, but it doesn't need to because the secrets kept continue to shock. It's also not a plot driven story, so much as it's relationship-driven. Its in these details that the story moves forward.

Set in Damascus, Beirut, and Blyth California, this is a story of multiple generations tied together by secrets. Idris, a doctor living in California with his wife Mazna, has decided he needs to sell his childhood home in Beirut, following the passing of his father. Mazna insists that their children Ava, in Brooklyn, and Mimi, in Austin bring their families to Beirut to hold a memorial service. The youngest child, Naj already lives there, as she is a wildly famous musician. The trip happens, and from here we dive into the complicated pasts and presents of each member of their family, where secrets are revealed and others are kept.

We seem to spend the most time with Mazna, as her actions tend to drive the story. We meet her as a young, poor, stunningly beautiful woman desperate to become an actress. She falls in love and this changes the course of her life. We meet Mimi, who is struggling to find himself and his place in the world. He is overshadowed by his younger sister's musical career, but doesn't know quite where he should dedicate his time. Naj may have been my favorite character. She is passionate and indulgent, and while she may seem lost, she is the most driven of the siblings. She feels completely, and is the truest to herself, even when she wants to escape. Ava surprised me. There were details in each character that were a surprise, and made them feel more real. The fact that she was a poker player was more than an interesting detail; it gave a well-placed indication of why she acted and reacted the way she did. I initially got the impression that Idris wasn't as deep as the other characters, or that his life view was more simple, but as the story grew, it was clear he understood more than he tended to let on.

The characters are so well-developed, and the author moves gently between each one, allowing them to breath and exist. They are raw and emotional, with real human energy. I often found myself believing that one character would be the lead of the story, but because each character had such depth, that image of each shifted into being. The Syrian-Lebanon war acts as almost another character, ever present throughout the generational story.

Even the supporting characters are well-written and interesting. Jo, Fee, Nate, Sara, Merry, and others are given their own rich stories.

The book moves throughout time periods, giving us different views into the motivations and movements of each character, in a way that seemed natural. It allowed the reader to be surprised to have the insight that explained plot lines already introduced.

As I got to the final chapters, I was holding my breath, afraid each one would be the last chapter, until it was. When I wasn't actively reading the book, I was thinking about the characters. This is one of those books that sits with you, which is really the best sort of book. I'm excited for this book to come out - I want to recommend it to friends, and I hope it gets the excellent press it deserves.

*I did notice several typos in the version I received, and I hope they will be edited by the time this goes to print*

I love family sagas and this book does not disappoint. From Syria and Lebanon to California, Texas and New York the reader experiences the love, horror, humour and challenges of one family. Highly recommended!

I wasn’t sure I would like this as much as I did. Wonderful, ambitious story of the Nasr family and each members hidden secrets all come to light as the patriarch asks his grown children and additional relatives meet in Beirut once decides to sell their ancestral home.
And so they come from California, Texas, New York all looking for answers without giving away too much of themselves. A warm, loving, emotional ride, hard to put down. Impossible to forget. A truly remarkable book.
4.5 stars

Thank you once again to NetGalley for the advanced copy. My thoughts are my own and unsolicited.

This book was great! A really well-done family saga with believable characters that the reader can identify with even with all their flaws. A love story with some dreams seemingly not realized. I especially enjoyed the parts that were back in time a generation or two. Interesting backdrop of Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestinian Refugee camps, as well as locales in the U.S.

A beautifully written, sweeping story that is broadly about a Syrian-Lebanese-American family but zooms in on exploring the individual characters and what their different relationships mean to them as their lives unfold in ways they cannot control. The story builds around secrets, and how they impact those who keep them, guess at them, know them, or don't want to know them. From the beginning, the reader learns a secret that threads throughout the novel, and other secrets also appear throughout to the reader before they do to the characters. The pages turn quickly, as the reader waits, on edge, for the fallout of secrets revealed (or not revealed), while delving into the lives of the characters. Jumping between time periods and narrators, the story is grounded in Alyan's depiction of place. The descriptions of the sights, smells, and sounds spanning Beirut, Damascus, Austin, California, Brooklyn throughout different years powerfully captured setting. Beirut itself, the house in Beirut, the almond trees, all loom as large as the personalities of the characters themselves. The way the adult relationships were written was also compelling, conveying the messiness and love that outlasts years and lives apart in families as well as the exploration of external reasons and factors partnerships fail or succeed. There is also some commentary on the politics of the Middle East and of America, issues of social class and immigration woven into the individual trajectories of the characters. Alyan packs a lot into this novel which at times prohibits depth but overall makes for an enthralling and rich story. It is worth a read!

Beautiful and emotional story that travels through time and continents. Alyan's writing is rich and powerful, her characters vivid and compelling, if not altogether very likable... Despite this family's sad history and complicated present, their love and gratitude for one another helps them overcome tragedy, resentment and betrayal.

Hala Alyan has written an absolutely gorgeous novel in “The Arsonists’ City.” Finishing this book left me with that hollow heartache, that little bit of stunned stillness that happens when you are suddenly no longer immersed in the lives of the people and places you got to know so well throughout the pages of a book. I’m going to have a serious book hangover after this one, in the best way possible.

The Arsonists’ City addresses and explores human and familial relationships - to place, to each other, to our pasts. When a family home in Beirut is about to be sold after the death of the family’s patriarch, we go on a journey through time and space as we learn about a mother, a father, their adult children, and many of the meaningful people who have influenced and changed the course of their lives. Beirut is also like a living, breathing character in this book, and I found Alyan’s ability to really show readers this place - not just describe it but make us feel deep connections to it - to be quite remarkable.

I was also thoroughly impressed by the extensive character development and arcs that we get to explore, and the almost hauntingly beautiful prose. There is a sense of insurmountable loss, of determination, of love and acceptance, of exposing secrets, and of deep ancestral healing that will inform future generations, illustrated by the way we see ancestors’ pain affecting characters in the present. There’s something about this book that taps into the very essential nature of humans: our nostalgia, our capacity for erring and for forgiving. When I think about the characters, about Beirut and the characters’ upcoming journeys, I get that ache in my chest like I’m nostalgic for something - like I’m missing someone. These are stories, characters, or places that will not leave me for a long time. This novel is a powerful statement about love, identity, ancestral lands, the secrets we keep, and the resilience of our devotion to family. We only know someone as much as they want us to know them, and nothing makes that clearer than The Arsonists’ City. But we also learn that our families are what we make them, and that our identities can be fluid but still connected across time and space, across communities, across rifts between family members.

I’m so grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance copy. I can’t wait for the release!

Thank you so much to net galley and HMH for sending me a copy of this book. I didn’t really know what to expect going into this book but I ended up falling in love with this book.

Literary fiction at its best a compelling story of family of secrets that can destroy lives.The back drop of war torn Beirut addsto this complex novel.An author to follow a book I will be recommending highly,

I received a free e-ARC of this through Netgalley.

This is a story about mom & dad and their 3 grown-up kids. Then we delve into each of their secrets. How Mom and Dad met and ended up married, giving up your dream, being gay, being cheated on, or being the cheater. Everyone meets in Beirut to get grandfather's house ready to sell meanwhile our childhood relationships bring out the child in us so no one is on their best behavior and secrets are spilled. Family relationships are complicated enough without the addition of being in a war-torn country so the heat is on.