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2008 Longlist

In the Country of Men

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ABOUT
THE BOOK

From a breathtaking new talent comes an utterly gripping, emotional novel told from the point of view of a young boy growing up in a terrifying and bewildering world where his best friend’s father disappears and is next seen on state television at a public execution; where a mysterious man sits outside the house all day and asks strange questions; and where it seems his father has finally disappeared for good.
Soon the whispers and fears, secrets and lies will become so intense that Suleiman can bear them no longer and in his terrified efforts to save his family may end up betraying his friends, his parents and ultimately himself.

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR Hisham
Matar

Hisham Matar was born in New York City to Libyan parents and spent his childhood first in Tripoli and then in Cairo. His first novel, In the Country of Men (2006), won six international literary awards and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, The Guardian First Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Hisham Matar lives in London.

Hisham Matar was born in New York City to Libyan parents and spent his childhood first in Tripoli and then in Cairo. His first novel, In the Country of Men (2006), won six international literary awards and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, The Guardian First Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Hisham Matar lives in London.

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NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS

A novel primarily of relationships “In the Country of Men” shows how love can endure under the most unendurable strains and repression.

Fresh subject matter; well succeeded debut novel, moving and well written, interesting book.

Matar has written not just a story about a troubled country, but also a beautifully nuanced tale of the painful vulnerabilities of a family and childhood

A very strong debut, Matar’s novel is a moving and universal tale of a childhood in Gaddafi’s Libya.

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