{"product_id":"absent-9780812977424","title":"Absent","description":"Dalal is a young woman living in a crowded Baghdad apartment with the childless aunt and uncle who raised her. In the same building, Umm Mazin, a fortune-teller, offers her customers cures for their physical and romantic ailments, Saad the hairdresser attends to a dwindling number of female customers, and Ilham, a nurse, escapes the stark realities of her hospital job in dreams of her long-lost French mother. Despite the damaging effects of bombings and international sanctions on their world, all the residents try to maintain normal lives. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHoping to bring in much-needed cash by selling honey, Dalal's uncle becomes a beekeeper, enlisting Dalal's help in the care of these temperamental creatures. Meanwhile, Dalal falls in love for the first time-against a background of surprise arrests, personal betrayals, and a crumbling social fabric that turns neighbors into informants. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTightly crafted and full of vivid, unforgettable characters, \u003ci\u003eAbsent \u003c\/i\u003eis a haunting portrait of life under restrictions, the fragile emotional ties among family and friends, and the resilience of the human spirit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBetool Khedairi\u003c\/b\u003e was born in Baghdad in 1965 to an Iraqi father and a Scottish mother. She received a BA in French literature from the University of Mustansirya and then traveled between Iraq, Jordan, and the United Kingdom, working in the food industry while writing \u003ci\u003eA Sky So Close\u003c\/i\u003e, which was published in Arabic in Lebanon in 1999. She currently lives in Amman. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eMuhayman Jamil \u003c\/b\u003ewas born in Baghdad. He is currently an associate specialist in palliative medicine in London. His work as a translator includes the novels \u003ci\u003eAbsent\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eA Sky So Close\u003c\/i\u003e, both by Betool Khedairi.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Random House Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50900461256978,"sku":"9780812977424","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_367dc5f4-d50c-4527-808a-396c7c1271b7.jpg?v=1738383075","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/absent-9780812977424","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}