You Exist Too Much

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A01=Zaina Arafat
addiction
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america
american writers
arab writers
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Author_Zaina Arafat
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belonging
Category1=Fiction
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coming of age
conflict
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cultural identity
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debut novel
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identity
immigration
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lgbtq
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love
love addiction
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palestine
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palestinian-american
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rehab
religion
romance
romance fiction
sexual desire
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women writers
you exist too much
zaina arafat

Product details

  • ISBN 9780349701776
  • Weight: 217g
  • Dimensions: 126 x 196mm
  • Publication Date: 18 Nov 2021
  • Publisher: John Murray Press
  • Publication City/Country: GB
  • Product Form: Paperback
  • Language: English
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'Deeply compelling... sexy.' Roxane Gay

'Takes you on a dizzying tour of love addiction, rehab, homophobia, betrayal, obsession and the aching need for a mother's unconditional love. At different times throughout, you'll find the protagonist needy, reckless and selfish but also smart, intuitive and trapped between two cultures - because as we all know, humans are nothing if not complicated. Roxane is right: this deserves five stars.' Stylist

Told in vignettes that flash between the US and the Middle East, Zaina Arafat's powerful debut novel traces her protagonist's progress from blushing teen to creative and confused adulthood.

In Brooklyn, she moves into an apartment with her first serious girlfriend and tries to content herself with their comfortable relationship. Soon, her longings, so deeply hidden during her teenage years, explode out into reckless romantic encounters and obsessions with other people, which results in her seeking unconventional help to face her past traumas and current demons.

As heard on Radio 2 Book Club, this captivating novel is perfect for readers who love Maggie Nelson and Garth Greenwell. Opening up the fantasies and desires of one young woman caught between cultural, religious and sexual identities, You Exist Too Much is a captivating story charting two of our most intense longings - for love, and a place to call home.

What people are saying about You Exist Too Much:
'Real and deliciously messy.' Attitude

'An elegantly written debut... A thought-provoking exploration of love and belonging, and how the two come together to create a sense of self.' New European

'Exquisitely written and crafted with a compelling lightness of touch.' Living Magazine

'A nuanced, sparky debut.' Observer

'A wonderfully written, queer, coming-of-age story.' i newapaper

'A novel of self-discovery following a Palestinian-American girl as she navigates queerness, love addiction and a series of tumultuous relationships.' The Millions, One of the Most Anticipated Books of the Year

'Powerful... With You Exist Too Much, Arafat announces herself as a provocative and insightful writer.' Irish Times

Zaina Arafat is an LGBTQ Arab-American writer. Her debut novel You Exist Too Much won a 2021 Lambda Literary Award and was named Roxane Gay's favourite book of 2020. Arafat's stories and essays have appeared in publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, Granta, Harper's Bazaar and VICE. In recognition of her work, she was awarded the Arab Women/Migrants from the Middle East fellowship at Jack Jones Literary Arts and named a Champion of Pride by The Advocate. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

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