Arab American Blues

A lyrical coming-of-age novel set against the political upheaval and cultural reckoning of 1960s America, this powerful debut explores immigrant identity, race, love, and awakening during one of the most divisive eras in US history. Michael Haddad, the teenage son of Palestinian immigrants, grows up in his family’s working-class New York City grocery store, delivering food through a changing neighborhood in 1967. As he enters the private worlds of his customers, Michael bears witness to the fractures and solidarities of urban America—from violent encounters with racist bullies to moments of unexpected compassion. He mourns alongside a grieving mother whose son was killed in the Vietnam War, and finds community with the first Black family to move onto the block.