{"product_id":"absent-paperback","title":"Absent - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eBetool Khedairi\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eMuhayman Jamil\u003c\/b\u003e (Translator)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDalal is a young woman living in a crowded Baghdad apartment with the childless aunt and uncle who raised her. In the same building, Umm Mazin, a fortune-teller, offers her customers cures for their physical and romantic ailments, Saad the hairdresser attends to a dwindling number of female customers, and Ilham, a nurse, escapes the stark realities of her hospital job in dreams of her long-lost French mother. Despite the damaging effects of bombings and international sanctions on their world, all the residents try to maintain normal lives. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHoping to bring in much-needed cash by selling honey, Dalal's uncle becomes a beekeeper, enlisting Dalal's help in the care of these temperamental creatures. Meanwhile, Dalal falls in love for the first time-against a background of surprise arrests, personal betrayals, and a crumbling social fabric that turns neighbors into informants. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTightly crafted and full of vivid, unforgettable characters, \u003ci\u003eAbsent \u003c\/i\u003eis a haunting portrait of life under restrictions, the fragile emotional ties among family and friends, and the resilience of the human spirit.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBetool Khedairi\u003c\/b\u003e was born in Baghdad in 1965 to an Iraqi father and a Scottish mother. She received a BA in French literature from the University of Mustansirya and then traveled between Iraq, Jordan, and the United Kingdom, working in the food industry while writing \u003ci\u003eA Sky So Close\u003c\/i\u003e, which was published in Arabic in Lebanon in 1999. She currently lives in Amman. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eMuhayman Jamil \u003c\/b\u003ewas born in Baghdad. He is currently an associate specialist in palliative medicine in London. His work as a translator includes the novels \u003ci\u003eAbsent\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eA Sky So Close\u003c\/i\u003e, both by Betool Khedairi.\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 240\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.56 x 8 x 5.71 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e July 10, 2007\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47261085106425,"sku":"9780812977424","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0789\/2782\/3097\/files\/hwy092lNX59780812977424.webp?v=1768793214","url":"https:\/\/bookscloud.io\/products\/absent-paperback","provider":"BooksCloud Book Dropshipping","version":"1.0","type":"link"}