Synopses & Reviews
A New York Times and Washington Post Notable Book of the Year - Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction
"Isabella Hammad is a master of subtle nuance." -- New York Times
After years away from her family's homeland, and reeling from a disastrous love affair, actress Sonia Nasir returns to Haifa to visit her older sister Haneen. This is her first trip back since the second intifada and the deaths of their grandparents: while Haneen made a life here commuting to Tel Aviv to teach at the university, Sonia remained in London to focus on her acting career and now dissolute marriage. On her return, she finds her relationship to Palestine is fragile, both bone-deep and new.
At Haneen's, Sonia meets the charismatic and candid Mariam, a local director, and finds herself roped into a production of Hamlet in the West Bank. Sonia is soon rehearsing Gertude's lines in Classical Arabic and spending more time in Ramallah than Haifa, along with a dedicated group of men from all over historic Palestine who, in spite of competing egos and priorities, each want to bring Shakespeare to that side of the wall. As opening night draws closer it becomes clear just how many violent obstacles stand before a troupe of Palestinian actors. Amidst it all, the life Sonia once knew starts to give way to the daunting, exhilarating possibility of finding a new self in her ancestral home.
A stunning rendering of present-day Palestine, Enter Ghost is a story of diaspora, displacement, and the connection to be found in family and shared resistance. Timely, thoughtful, and passionate, Isabella Hammad's highly anticipated second novel is an exquisite feat, an unforgettable story of artistry under occupation.
Review
"Enter Ghost is a masterful, deeply convincing portrait of the
all-too-real consequences of political theater--in both senses. A moving
and important novel that presses upon the urgent question of how we
ought to live in the midst of the rubble (and ongoing chaos) of
political crisis." Namwali Serpell, author of The Furrows
Review
"[A] soul-stirring and dramatic tale of a Palestinian family's exile and
reconciliation. . . . The layered text, rich in languages and literary
references, dives deep into Sonia's consciousness, illustrating her
hopes for what art can accomplish. This deeply human work will stay with
readers." Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Review
"An exquisite piece of storytelling that weaves history and politics and
family with a profound meditation on the purpose of art. It's nuanced,
multilayered and gorgeously written and, as with all great novels,
rewards multiple readings." Monica Ali, The Guardian
About the Author
Isabella Hammad was born in London. Her writing has appeared in the Paris Review, the New York Times, Conjunctions, and elsewhere. She was awarded the 2018 Plimpton Prize for Fiction and a 2019 O. Henry Prize. Her first novel The Parisian
(2019) won a Palestine Book Award, the Sue Kaufman Prize from the
American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a Betty Trask Award from the
Society of Authors in the UK. She was a National Book Foundation 5 Under
35 Honoree, and has received literary fellowships from MacDowell, the
Rockefeller Foundation, the Lannan Foundation, and the Columbia
University Institute for Ideas and Imagination.