Winner of the 2011 Arab Book Award for Fiction
"A thoroughly original story that lingered with me long after reading it."—Laila Halaby, best-selling author of West of the Jordan
"In Loom Lebanon and North America flare to life, illuminating each other. With a wonderfully assured touch Chehade weaves the pain and joy of familial bonds around stories of war and migration. A beautiful novel."—Kamila Shamsie, author of Burnt Shadows: A Novel
"An expansive and beautiful new storyteller, Chehade tightly binds personal experience with the universal desire to belong, effortlessly weaving a dense tapestry of loneliness and regret."—Publisher's Weekly (starred review)
As a blizzard blankets the northeast, burying residents and shutting down airports, the Farrah family eagerly awaits the arrival of Eva, a cousin visiting from Lebanon after a long absence. Over the course of several days, while Eva is stranded in New York City, Chehade’s nuanced story unfolds in the reminiscences and anxieties of each family member.
Thérèse Soukar Chehade teaches English as a Second Language to elementary school students in Amherst, Massachusetts. This is her first novel.
November 2010