Salt Houses: A Novel

"What does home mean when you no longer have a house – or a homeland? This beautiful novel traces one Palestinian family’s struggle with that question and how it can haunt generations. Hala Alyan’s own family history – for years, she felt as if she belonged nowhere – clearly informed her book, but her professional life as a clinical psychologist who has worked with refugee clients plays a part too. Along with another favorite from this year – Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West – this is an example of how fiction is often the best filter for the real world around us."