ahhhh ou know a book is beautiful when it leaves you with those single rolling tears. yeah this one did that. gorgeously written and plot executied perectly.

Propulsive and visceral. This is one of my favorite reads of the month. I think this is a book that should be read widely.

This book was so beautifully written while simultaneously being so heart-rending. It was quick but deep, playful and painful, enlightening and bold. As someone who lives just outside of Boston, I was both comforted by the familiarity of the setting and also gutted by the insight given into the lives of Syrian refugees in the US around the start of the Trump administration. Zgheib's writing stopped me in my tracks several times. I'm typically one to plow through a book but I couldn't help but pause regularly to soak in her beautiful observations and the sweet way she wove together this love story. I loved the changing timelines and devoured the book in 2 days. Content warnings: language, pregnancy trauma.

I loved this book. It was about a topic that I had heard about so much on the news a few years ago (the Muslim travel ban) and it put a human face to what happened at the time. The writing was beautiful. I read through this quickly, wanting to know what happened in the characters' stories. It moved back and forth through time often, but that didn't bother me. Overall a very good book. I did at times wish for more, as this is not an especially long book.

I can’t stop thinking about this achingly beautiful story—my first 5 star read of the year!

NO LAND TO LIGHT ON is a searing novel that follows a young couple who immigrated from Syria to build their life in Boston. When the 2017 Muslim travel ban leaves them separated, they are forced to consider the meaning of ‘home’.

From the opening chapter, I was deeply invested in the lives of Sama and Hadi. My heart was in my throat as this riveting story unfolded. The couple was at the mercy of a system that had no regard for their refugee status, years spent in the US, or the arrival of their newborn son in the NICU.

This is a quick read, but it packs a serious punch. With lyrical prose, Yara Zgheib explores deep longing and the lengths we go to build a better life. Empathy poured out of me like water; a true testament to Yara’s ability to highlight the humanity of the Syrian people. Yara seamlessly weaves metaphors about birds and their migration patterns throughout the story.

I flew through this book in two days, which is no small feat for a mom of toddlers! I did a combination of print and audio because I couldn’t tear myself away from these pages. The male and female audiobook narrators perfectly conveyed the angst, frustration, and desperation of the characters.

I am thankful to have the opportunity to host Yara for a book club discussion on March 3, 2022. As a Lebanese woman, I’m eager to hear her perspective and how it shaped this story.

Simply put, this is a must read.

RATING: 5/5
PUB DATE:January 4, 2022 (Available Now!)

A big thank you to NetGalley, Simon Audio, and Atria books for electronic and audio copies of this special book in exchange for an honest review.

The story of two Syrian immigrants who move to the U.S. and attend Harvard University, where they meet up. Falling in love, they marry, but just before Sama delivers their first child, Hadi, her husband, is sent back to Syria. Losing his Visa and legal paperwork, he ends up part of the Trump government's roundup of Middle Eastern citizens who are deported and no longer allowed to enter the United States.

A harrowing and tragic story that is all too timely and real. It sheds light on the racism toward Middle Easterners and other cultures in the U.S. No Land to Light On gives readers a realistic look into the impressions, feelings, and lives of immigrants who move to the U.S., hoping for a better life.

No light to Land On

A powerhouse of a book with writing that weeps with emotion.

The fictional yet potentially real story of Hadi and Sama—two Syrian immigrants who have come to America for a better life. They have given up everything in the attempt for something greater.

Hadi goes to Jordan to attend his fathers funeral and upon reaching customs in Boston the new travel ban that was put out in 2017 stopped him from entering the United States based on his land of birth.

Sam’s is pregnant and distraught by her husbands disappearance and her baby is born.

Two loves in two lands ripped apart by an executive order. A baby.

The prose of this book was beautiful. I don’t often comment on the writing but this was just so immersive and easy to read!

All the stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an e-copy in return for my honest review.

Just finished reading this book and WOW what a rollercoaster of a ride! Absolutely amazing story about love, family, resilience, perseverance, and what it means to leave it all behind. For better or for worse.

For those of us who were not personally affected by the "Muslim ban" in 2017, this book brings to light just how traumatizing this time period was for a multitude of families. Without warning, travelers with valid refugee status and visas were turned away at the airport and treated like criminals. This book tells the story of Sama and Hadi, a young couple who is expecting their first child when Hadi gets detained at the airport on his way back from his father's funeral. Their yearning for the freedom of America is palpable, but that freedom comes at a cost, and it can be rescinded at a moment's notice.

The writing is evocative and emotionally charged. The mood is tense and rushed, punctuated by short, stilted sentences. Although the story is an important one, the overall feeling of angst never relented, and it was an exhausting read.

Hadi and Sama, a young Syrian couple living in Boston, are thrilled that their child will be born in America. When Sama is five months pregnant, Hadi's father unexpectedly passes away in Jordan. After attending the funeral, Hadi is detained upon his return to Boston, caught up in a nightmarish limbo caused by the newly issued travel ban.

I loved Zgheib's tale of anorexia, The Girls at 17 Swann Street, so I really wanted to enjoy her newest book. Despite the importance of the topic, No Land to Light On was a struggle for me to read, mostly because of the lyrical writing style. The composition jumps from past to present with endless descriptions in flowing language. The story stayed ethereal when I wanted this tragedy to be brought down to earth.

This was such a moving book. I loved the characters, Sama Zayat and Hadi Deeb. Both are immigrants that left from Syria with the abundant hope for a free and unlimited life in America. That is the promise America offers, and it seems to all be coming into place. Sami and Hadi fall in love and marry. She is pregnant and both are excited at all the possibilities life offers.

Then cruelty takes over. It is so crushing and unbelievable. I could feel the characters hurt and confusion. Hadi has a Visa and goes back to Syria because his father dies. Sama is waiting to pick him up at the airport. He is off the plane, but suddenly is not allowed to enter the US. The travel ban 13769 has been put through and Syrian Refugees are stopped from entering the US indefinitely. This was supposedly to protect the US from Foreign Terrorists. I do remember when this occurred and was very disturbed. Still, reading how it personally effected a family really brought the message of how destructive this was.

Sami goes into premature labor alone. I could not even imagine such a thing. Hadi is put on a plane and is temporarily in Jordan without much recourse. It is terrifying for both. Their beautiful son, Naseem is born, but he is premature and is in the NICU. So, both Sami and Hadi are facing something neither can imagine and trying to figure out a solution alone. This made me cry for them, it was so unfair. They were just a young couple in love and starting a family. It was hard enough to leave their families behind to start this life.

I liked the use of birds about flying to freedom and information about their migratory patterns. It was well used throughout the book. Why do they migrate and decide to fly and then why do they decide to come home? There is not a concrete answer to this.

So, I loved the author’s lyrical writing style and understanding of the immigrants she writes about. In the end it still is a beautiful love story. Excellent Book.

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for this advance reader’s copy.
Immersive, riveting, and heartbreaking, I could’ve read this love story of immigrant Sama and refugee Hadi in one sitting. The prose is lyrical and poetic, which may not appeal to every reader, but I thought it created a sense of urgency. I wanted to slowly savor it, but I also couldn’t turn pages fast enough. My only complaint is that I was confused by the ending. This book would make for great book club discussion!

"This isn't right! This isn't the story I was told, promised. The dream, to come to America, work hard, become somebody. Become better and larger than who I was and could be in the life I left. A life beyond the walls in Syria, beyond mere existence.⁣
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Freedom, that was the deal!"⁣
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Brief summary⁣
EXIT WEST meets AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE in this breathtaking and evocative novel about a young Syrian couple in the throes of new love, on the cusp of their bright future...when a travel ban rips them apart on the eve of their son’s birth.⁣
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I have read my share of refugee narratives but this one tapped into other level emotions. The novel alternates from Sama (wife), Hadi (husband), and current event clippings, each so propulsive, poetic, and alive. I did greatly favor Sama's chapters, her emotion could be felt as if the reader were there with her witnessing these atrocities.⁣
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I also had the audio and I thought the alternating narrators did a phenomenal job.⁣
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Big thank you to @atriabooks and @yarazgheibofficial for gifting me this copy.

Wow! Talk about a heart-wrenching story. I really love books that are able to widen my perspective and No Light to Land On did just that about things some immigrants experience. This is a heartbreaking and love story about a young starcrossed Syrian couple who get separated by the 2017 travel ban. It really helped bring personal perspective to the politics of immigration. Definitely will read this author again.

Yara Zgheib, author of THE GIRLS AT 17 SWANN STREET, returns with NO LAND TO LIGHT ON, a poignant, evocative novel written in the vein of EXIT WEST and THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO.

Hadi and Sama are a young Syrian couple who met in Boston in November 2015. Sama, a Harvard student, first entered the United States five years ago on a scholarship, her love of knowledge pushing her past the bounds of her homeland where she would only ever read about the world. Hadi, however, is a true refugee. He recently arrived in America thanks to the work of a generous lawyer and his wife who are dedicated to helping refugees begin new lives. Having lived in their homeland much more recently than Sama, Hadi knows firsthand the devastation that has leveled their country, the bloodshed, the corruption and the daily traumas. But in Sama, he rediscovers a magic he thought long lost to him: the power to put down roots and hope for something more.

Hadi and Sama’s relationship is a whirlwind, the joining of two souls who are truly enamored of one another. When, early in their marriage, Sama discovers that she is pregnant, the two are scared but overjoyed to know that their child will never wonder if he is safe in his homeland or whether or not he belongs. But as they are preparing for parenthood, Hadi receives a devastating call: his father has died in Jordan, the night before he and Hadi’s mother were to interview at the US Embassy for a chance to join Hadi as part of a family reunification program. Having lived in the US for two years, married and with a child on the way, Hadi feels secure enough in his refugee status to travel home and help his mother with the funeral arrangements…until a shocking turn of events changes his life.

The date is January 27, 2017, and the US president has just enacted a travel ban barring citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the country for 90 days, and suspended admission of Syrian refugees indefinitely. Suddenly, Hadi’s refugee travel document, I-131 application, marriage certificate, driver’s license, lease, work contract and Syrian passport are no good in America. Following a harrowing “interview” with an officer who accuses him of terrorism and another who manhandles him, Hadi is coerced into signing a document that voluntarily suspends his refugee status and lands him on the next flight “home” to Syria, where he has one month of a Jordanian visa to undo a thoughtless, cruel and racially motivated policy that, according to most officials, should not even affect him.

In the meantime, the shock of Hadi’s deportation has sent Sama into premature labor. While Hadi fights to come home, Sama watches as their newborn son fights for his life. Alternating timelines, perspectives and storylines, Yara Zgheib brings to life the very real refugee crisis and the effects of the travel ban, laying these searingly timely topics against a love story as layered and emotionally taut as the politics that threaten to dismantle it. Writing in brief but lyrical and incredibly beautiful snapshots, she introduces us to young Sama, a dreamer desperate to fly free in the world; young Hadi, living in war-torn Damascus; Sama the mother, a woman who has lost her husband but gained a new reason to fight for freedom; and deported Hadi, betrayed by the country that claimed to love him and forced to reckon with the truth about the life he thought was his.

The refugee crisis has been described in numerous works of fiction and journalism, but never before has it been written with such humanity and intimacy as in NO LAND TO LIGHT ON. Zgheib has maintained her now signature style of poetic and fragmented, but surprisingly complex and layered prose. But where she used it to describe guilt and reclamation in THE GIRLS AT 17 SWANN STREET, here she pushes her writing to new bounds in describing the aching pain and beauty of love and the finding of one’s home in another’s soul.

In a clever convention, Zgheib lays her narrative against Sama’s dissertation studies of the migratory patterns of birds, using the metaphor of migration to highlight the stark realities --- and beautiful universal truths --- of the plight of the refugee. As she writes, “It has been observed that birds feel a sort of pain before taking off, almost like fear, and that nothing alleviates that feeling except the rapid motion of wings.” This sentiment is embodied perfectly in both Hadi and Sama’s backstories, but most powerfully in the actions of these characters when they are split apart by powers out of their control. Precariously balancing between hope and disillusionment, Hadi and Sama begin to unravel as they learn that the life they have built for themselves might not be as secure as they once dreamed, and that their only path forward may lie in their motherland, a place they swore their child would never see.

Most readers remember all too well the travel bans set in place by the US in recent years. But NO LAND TO LIGHT ON proves how few of us truly understand the ramifications of these policies, or how one’s paperwork can be in perfect order one day and utterly useless the next. Through the powerful, all-consuming love story of Hadi and Sama, Zgheib reminds us how much is at stake when we enact short-sighted, unclear policies and allow others to enforce them. Paired with her achingly beautiful writing and ability to distill huge, universal themes in small, intimate moments, Hadi and Sama’s fight for freedom and a place to call home is breathtaking and unforgettable.

When the President of the United States issued a travel ban from specific Arabic countries in the Middle East entering the US in 2017, Hadi, having only achieved refugee status from Syria 2 years prior is detained at the airport. Having returned to Jordan briefly to bury his father, Hadi is caught in the political crossfire and forced under duress to cancel his own visa.

His wife Sama, 5 months pregnant, waits and waits and waits at the airport but Hadi never appears. Knowing in her heart that something is terribly wrong, Sama’s fear prompts the premature birth of her son and as she stands vigil in the ICU, we journey on a love story that crosses oceans, cultures and timelines as both Hadi and Sama struggle to hold onto their hearts and find a place they can call home.

From the onset, Hadi and Sama’s love story is one of magic, punctuated with factual information regarding homing birds and birds who travel magnificent distances to mate and nest. Having won her visa status via scholarship to Harvard, Sama’s PhD focuses on bird migration, and as a sub-narrative, this offers metaphorical pause from the deeply political themes that are woven throughout.

Provocative, poetic and powerful, love and family are the clear cornerstones that tether Sama and Hadi’s story, and whilst fictitious, there is a strong sense that the executive order in its actuality literally ripped families apart with no warning and no apology. For the most part though, Sama’s longing for freedom in all its glory and her ability to find beauty in the grotesque is the true winner.

No Land to Light On is a beautifully challenging novel that reminds all who are lucky enough to be free to cherish our hearts and our homes, and to beat our wings fiercely in gratitude for all that we have.

On January 27, 2017, then-President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 13769. In the name of national security, the Order (known as the Trump travel ban): (1) temporarily banned people from seven predominantly Muslim countries, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, from entering the U.S. for at least 90 days; and (2) indefinitely suspended the admission of Syrian refugees.

The story in NO LAND TO LIGHT ON begins on that very day, serving as a depiction of the personal impact of the Trump travel ban through the eyes of a young Syrian couple. Sama, who is five months pregnant, waits at JFK to be reunited with Hadi, who flew back to Syria for his father’s funeral. Instead of being reunited, the couple is torn apart by the Order; Hadi is detained, then deported to Syria, while Sama remains in the U.S., taking care of their son at the hospital after unexpectedly going into premature labor. After that day, Hadi, Sama, and their son live in limbo, never knowing when or where their family will be reunited.

Why you should read NO LAND TO LIGHT ON 👇🏾
1️⃣ The story of Hadi, Sama, and their son represents the real-world situation of families affected by the Trump travel ban. Although President Biden formally repealed the ban on Inauguration Day, many families remain separated.

2️⃣ NO LAND TO LIGHT ON reflects on passport privilege. "After takeoff, I begged the flight attendant to return my passport. She refused, her instructions clear: not until touchdown. She doesn't understand. She doesn't have to. Her life is not defined by words on a document, it does not hang on a stamp or visa."

The Syrian passport ranks as one of the world's weakest passports on the Henley Passport Index. The Trump travel ban contributed to the fear and uncertainty experienced by Syrian passport holders.

3️⃣ At its core, NO LAND TO LIGHT ON is a love story. Through flashbacks to the past, we learn how Hadi and Sama fell in love.

NO LAND TO LIGHT ON is a moving tale of hope and hopelessness, which captures the early days of the Trump travel ban. Zgheib’s writing made me emotional and invested in the characters quite early on. I’d recommend this book to fans of INFINITE COUNTRY by Patricia Engel.

I absolutely loved this story of Hadi and Sama, two young Syrians living in Boston. You meet them as they fall in love and start a family, hearing some of their backstory, and are there when the travel ban of 2017 is enacted, leaving Hadi stuck in limbo-no longer allowed back home to Boston, but not safe back in Syria, either. My heart was breaking and I found my self holding my breath as I turned the pages, wishing I could somehow help and bring them back together. HIGHLY recommend. I also think this would be a great addition to a high school or college reading list--fiction helps open our hearts to be empathetic, and this is an important book for people to read!

Backdrop is Trump’s 2017 immigration travel ban which suspended the entry of Syrian refugees indefinitely. Hadi and Sama are a young Syrian couple living in Bostom- Hadi is there has a sponsored refugee coming from Syria after the civil war had started there. Sama is there getting her Phd. She’s 5 months pregnamnt when aHadi’s father dies suddenly in Jordan and he flies back for the funeral. When he arrives back in Boston the Executive order for the travel ban for Syrian refuges has been implemented and Hadi is denied entry back into the US and is put back on a plane to return to Jordan. While Sama is left trying to figure out what happened to Hadi things go from bad to worse for her. This is a love story that weaves together the agonizing choices of refugees such as deciding to leave their families behind, the politics of immigration, and the life altering decisions brought by both. The story alternates between Hadi and Sama’s points of view and I was completely invested in both. I enjoyed getting to know them but also their families and how hard it had to have been for all of them when they made the decision to go to the US on their own. This story reads fast despite the literary feel of the writing- I would describe the writing as definitely flowery or beautfiucl at times which diddn’t bother me and it did take me a little time to get into the flow of her using short chopy 2 word sentences throughout.

Here it is..the first book of 2022 that touched my sometimes too-cynical heart. I challenge you to pick up Yara Zgheib's No Land to Light On and not love it, to not feel the pain of separation but also the strength of love.

At 284 pages, No Land to Light On is a fairly quick read, but also one that begs to be thought about. Every sentence is meticulously crafted to make the reader see the world that Sami and Hadi see and feel their emotions. I could say so much more, but what I'm going to leave you with is this is a book that needs to be read and talked about. This is one you need to share with your friends and your book clubs.

Thanks for the opportunity to review.

Link to 2/6/2022 Instagram post:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYZL15rrhH0/