A Mouth Full of Salt
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Saqi Books
Published:9th Apr '24
Should be back in stock very soon
Saqi Books has scooped the "searing" debut novel from Reem Gaafar, A Mouth Full of Salt'
A Mouth Full of Salt uncovers a country on the brink of seismic change as its women decide for themselves which traditions are fit for purpose and which prophecies it’s time to rewrite.The Nile brings them life. But the Nile also takes away. 1970s. A village in North Sudan is shaken by the news that a little boy has drowned. Then the village camels die of a mysterious illness; the date tree fields catch fire and burn to the ground. The women whisper rumours of a mysterious sorceress from the Nuba mountains. It is the dry season. The men have no work, the women have their own troubles, the children continue to play where the river runs over its own banks. For 14-year-old Fatima escape lies in the big city of Khartoum. 1950s. In Khartoum, Nyamakeem is 33, a single mother making her way in a world that keeps girls and women back. Worse, she’s from South Sudan. As civil war swells, her position in the capital becomes untenable. Nyamakeem decides to leave for the village. A Mouth Full of Salt uncovers a country teetering between centuries of tradition and seismic change,
‘Gaafar tells the intertwined stories of three women who are confronted with injustice. A conversation about responsible writing, role models and the forgotten war in Sudan.' -- Qantara
‘Sudan-set A Mouth Full of Salt shows how political decisions inform our personal choices, transporting us to a unique time and place that is little understood. The Nile in all its complex, chaotic energy continues to beckon long after the final page'’ -- BookBrunch
‘A stunning, powerful story of a community in the north of Sudan, struck by calamity and loss … Reem explores so much in this novel, including motherhood, the power of education, othering, community structures, tribalism and so much more.’ -- The Diverse Bookshelf Podcast
‘I found this novel and its many strands utterly compelling; it is a quietly devastating tale that leads the reader towards the inevitable conclusion that, where there is injustice, sooner or later the balance must be restored.’ -- Reads & Reveries
‘A riveting debut novel .. A Mouth Full of Salt captivates from the first line with its intoxicating mix of high intrigue, socio-political commentary and (post)colonial history.’ -- Afropean Magazine
A Mouth Full of Salt skilfully recounts the nuanced history of two countries that were divided long before they had any say in the matter. Gaafar approaches this narrative with compassion, confronting uncomfortable truths head-on. -- The New Arab
- Winner of The Island Prize 2023
ISBN: 9780863567728
Dimensions: 216mm x 138mm x 25mm
Weight: 330g
272 pages