Yasmin Zaher is a Jerusalem-born Palestinian journalist and The Coin is her first novel: and it absolutely knocked me off my feet. The main character — a young Palestinian woman: rich and beautiful, newly arrived in NYC to work as a private middle school English teacher (even though she hasn’t read any of the English classics), physically and existentially stateless — is not outwardly a victim of history looking for sympathy. And yet she suffers bizarre, body-based obsessions, and as her actions approach a breakdown, it’s obvious that, despite outward appearances, trauma (both personal and historical) underpin and affect her entire existence. I have never experienced anything like this novel — I don’t believe I have read a book written by a Palestinian author before — and this exposure to other lives and voices is exactly the reason why I read. This might be a bit challenging for those who like bodies to remain sanitised and out of sight, but this is a novel I would urge everyone to read; and especially at this time. Full stars, no hesitation.

OMG rarely does something live up to its hype but THE COIN does. What a delicious gem of a novel. I lived for the narrator, her strange antics (her cleaning ritual!!! her unorthodox manner of teaching!!! her little Birkin scheme!!!). Not to mention the very real, though still nuanced, socio-political undertones that vibrate across the novel. What an achievement. I will be re-reading it pronto.

Thanks to the publisher for the e-galley,.