Dust Settles North
by Deena ElGenaidi
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Pub Date Sep 30 2025 | Archive Date Not set
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Description
It’s 2012, and post-revolution Egypt is sparking with political energy—but Hannah and Zain are numb.
The flight from New York to Cairo is long—longer still for two siblings on a journey to bury their mother. When they discover their father’s unforgivable betrayal, what’s left of their family crumbles.
Hannah gives up her spot at Columbia Law to remain in Egypt, where she navigates romantic entanglements and a new culture. Back in America, Zain’s self-destructive behavior begins to catch up with him, leaving him to wonder whether he’s any different from his father.
When the siblings reunite in Cairo months later, Zain is nearing rock bottom, and Hannah finds herself in the middle of the Arab Spring uprising. Together they confront shared secrets and reconcile their conservative upbringing with their new beliefs as adults. Will they heal together, or has the loss of their only bridge—their mother—set them permanently adrift?
A tender reflection on the effects of grief and loss, this deeply felt novel explores how siblings come together to mend a fractured family and, in the process, find themselves.
Advance Praise
“Deena ElGenaidi's stunning debut masterfully weaves the personal and the political to tell a story of resistance, loss, and displacement–all while tracing the undying bond between siblings. I would follow Hannah and Zain wherever they go.” –Zaina Arafat, author of You Exist Too Much
"A beautiful meditation on grief, family, and the ties that bind. I was wholly absorbed by this atmospheric novel of transformation after mother-loss, and the apt exploration of the way that loss reshapes the world. Dust Settles North will speak to anyone who has ever chased belonging both with family and in the world; meaning, this book is for everyone. Gorgeous.” –Chelsea Bieker, author of Madwoman and Godshot
"Dust Settles North is a remarkable character study that accomplishes the rare feat of being truly honest with its messy, imperfect, frustrating protagonists. The novel is a raw, insightful look at the effects of grief, secrets, and upheaval on a family split between two worlds, richly detailed and filled with compassion. ElGenaidi has crafted a stunning debut." –Vaishnavi Patel, author of Kaikeyi and Goddess of the River
“Dust Settles North is a moving account of the way grief knocks down life's edifices, making difficult truths impossible to ignore. This is a story of reckoning: with self, with family, with the world; and a powerful reminder that when everything falls apart, there's a chance to build something new. A magnificent debut.” –Lilly Dancyger, author of Burn it Down
“ElGenaidi expertly explores themes of faith, becoming, and the consequences of freedom at the individual, familial, and geopolitical levels. Using the metaphorically rich backdrop of an Egypt fighting to forge its own future, Dust Settles North asks the question of how to balance what we owe community, with what we owe ourselves [….] sure to be a 5 Star read that will challenge readers with its sharp cultural commentary while also comforting with the heart of a family struggling to love and, infinitely more difficult, trust each other. –Micaiah Johnson, author of The Space Between Worlds
"A beautifully wrought, tender story of familial ties across time and place with characters that leap off the page." –Gabrielle Korn, author of Yours for the Taking and The Shutouts
"Dust Settles North is an unsparing exhumation of the untruths that keep a family together, of the small sins and glaring hypocrisies that can just as quickly drive them apart. This gritty debut will have you thinking about inheritance and legacy, about grief and loss, but perhaps most especially that central question: what does it mean to be truly honest and vulnerable with the people we allegedly love most? A powerful meditation on family and belonging that will stay with readers long after turning the final page." –Jeanna Kadlec, author of Heretic
Marketing Plan
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Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9781964721163 |
PRICE | $19.95 (USD) |
PAGES | 384 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews

**Dust Settles North** by Deena ElGenaidi is a novel primarily set during the Arab Spring in Egypt. Like the broader Middle East and North Africa, the characters in this story yearn for change but are stymied by the complexities of life, family, grief, relationships, and politics.
The narrative centers on sibling protagonists Hannah and Zain, who travel to Egypt in 2012 following their mother’s unexpected death in the United States. Hannah chooses to abandon her plans for law school to remain in Egypt, while Zain grapples with his own set of challeneges.
This novel delves into intricate themes of loss, religion, relationships, and politics. It serves as a coming-of-age story for a family, and perhaps for an entire region.
I recommened this family drama. Readers who appreciate works like Kaveh Akbar’s *Martyr*, Aria Aber’s *Good Girl*, Mariam Rahmani’s *Liquid*, or Noor Naga’s *If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English* will likely enjoy this book.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books | Boundless Press for the advanced reading copy.

Dust Settles North is Deena ElGenaidi’s debut novel, following two siblings as they travel to Egypt to bury their mother and uncover their father’s betrayal. While Hannah chooses to stay and immerse herself in a new culture, back in America Zain struggles with self-destructive behaviour that forces him to confront his identity and choices.
I found this book truly inspiring. It delves into post-revolution Egypt, exploring politics, grief, family dynamics, religion, and relationships. The novel masterfully portrays how young siblings navigate their sense of self, and societal struggles. The feminist and political themes are particularly hard-hitting, making it impossible to put the book down.
Watching these characters evolve throughout the story makes this coming-of-age novel both relatable and thought provoking. The book is beautifully written, engaging and educational.
I’m eager to read more from Deena ElGenaidi in the future and would highly recommend Dust Settles North to everyone.
Thank you so much NetGalley and Bindery Books for a free gifted digital copy of this book!

3.5 rounded up
Dust Settles North follows the story of siblings Hannah and Zain as they return to Egypt after the death of their mother. Set against the backdrop of the 2011 Egyptian protests, the story explores their struggles with grief, identity, and family secrets, as well as their attempts to reconcile their lives as second-generation immigrants with their cultural heritage.
I found the book to be engaging, with fairly complex and relatable characters. The author does a great job of exploring the characters' struggles with their roots and identities, and the siblings' journey of confronting not only their parents' flaws but also their own, as they grapple with (self-)forgiveness and (self-)acceptance.
The novel addresses a wide range of themes, touching on both personal and collective issues, which is exactly what I was hoping to find when I picked up this book. These include the challenges of second-generation immigrant identity, hypocrisy in religious parents, different ways of dealing with grief (whether through escapism, avoidance, or substance abuse) and societal struggles, such as the limited opportunities for women and the challenge of practicing religion in modern society. The setting of Egypt during the protests added a lot to the story and it was great to be able to learn more about it.
There were a few things I found a bit repetitive. The "good Muslim/bad Muslim" dichotomy and the "not fully Egyptian, not fully American" identity crisis were revisited quite a bit, and a while these issues are certainly important (especially to the characters) I think they could have been explored in a more nuanced way.
Another point I struggled with was how the relationship between the siblings and their mother was portrayed. While it was clear that they were grieving her loss, the book doesn’t really delve much into their relationship before her death. The flashbacks we do get are often negative, depicting her as nagging or difficult, which made it harder to see the deeper connection they shared. It reminded me a bit of Crying in H Mart, where the relationship with the mother is also complex and largely focused on the negative aspects, yet there’s an underlying love that is felt despite the portrayal.
One last and very minor thing that I found a bit annoying was the way Egypt was referred to so broadly - the characters always talk of “Egypt” and “Egyptian people”, with the exception of Tahrir which is the only exact geographical point we’re given - which felt too general for a country so big and diverse. I think the author perhaps took it for granted that readers would understand that the story is set in Cairo, but the constant referral to all settings as just “Egypt” seemed a bit superficial.
All in all, Dust Settles North was an enjoyable read for me. There are areas where the book could have delved deeper, especially in the portrayal of relationships and the setting, but other than that I found it an insightful novel that deals with complex themes of family, identity, and grief in a graceful way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dust Settles North follows siblings Hannah and Zain following the death of their mother. They fly from the States to Cairo for the traditional Egyptian funeral that their mother would have wanted. This story follows the brother and sister in a dual perspective in the days, weeks, and months that follow, showing how they each live life with their grief and how it affects the decisions that they make.
This book is a masterclass in showing the range of ways that humans deal with grief, along with exploring what it means to be Egyptian-American, culturally, socially, and religiously. The dual perspective was really well written, helping us to understand the family dynamic in depth. The characters felt real. The author did a great job showing the characters imperfections, and having conversations that show what it is to be 'perfect' in the eyes of others, and the importance of getting to know the real person behind first impressions to find this out.
I would recommend Dust Settles North to those who enough character focused books, set between different countries, exploration of grief and family dynamics.
Thank you so much to NetGalleyUK and Bindery Books for an eARC of Dust Settles North in return for an honest review.

this was a good book! It had some good themes like family, grief, relationships, growth and moving on. Overall I think that book was well written and it did keep me entertained while reading. I think it was good
Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!
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