The Blue Between Sky and Water, the second and most awaited novel by Palestinian-American author Susan Abulhawa, was published by Bloomsbury (who acquired World English rights) at the beginning of June 2015. Readers and critics have reacted with enthusiasm and translation rights have already been sold into Arabic (Bloomsbury Qatar), Bahasa Indonesia (Mizan), Czech (Albatros), Danish (Jensen & Dalgaard), Dutch (De Geus), Finnish (Like), French (Denoël), German (Diana Verlag), Italian (Feltrinelli), Norwegian (Aschenhoug), Polish (Swiat Ksiazki), Portuguese Brazil (Bertrand), Romanian (Polirom), Spanish Spain (Kailas), Spanish US & Latin America (Planeta), Swedish (Nordstedts) and Turkish (Koridor).
A great review by Margie Orford was published by The Independent is saying: “(...) Suffering and resilience are difficult things to witness, but this powerful, politically engaged novel does so with a transformative literary grace. Abulhawa’s prose is luminous; her control of a complex weaving of narrative voices – young and old, male and female, magical and real – is masterful. The novel provides an intimate close-up of the women of Gaza and of the everyday heroism amid relentless loss. There are men in this novel, of course, beloved husbands, exiled fathers, jailed sons, but it is the sustaining power of sisters, mothers, wives and daughters that carries the narrative.”
Author Teju Cole said: “The story Susan Abulhawa tells in this marvelous novel is hard to bear but impossible to ignore. Abulhawa’s vision is precise, courageous, and dazzling.”
Journalist and author Bidisha wrote: “The Blue Between Sky and Water” is in another league altogether. I've never seen passion and politics combine with such urgency. I love the fierce, clean prose and the intense human drama that plays out. The novel proves that the personal, the social and the political are indivisible - and how profoundly they matter. The atmosphere, also, is utterly thrilling, charged with foreboding and the promise of conflict. It makes for an addictive read.”
The Blue Between Sky and Water has been selected as an Editor’s Pick in its audio-book version by Audible. While the author attended the Hay Festival (among other literary events) and has been already launching the novel in Germany and Italy and is preparing a Scandinavian tour in October.
More information: Marina Penalva – marina@pontas-agency.com