Alicia erians book begins like falling into a freezing pondyou keep on trying to warm up but you cant get comfortable. Alicia erian s debut novel unfolds the story of an arabamerican girl navigating an unfamiliar suburban and cultural terrain with no emotional support or direction. Jasira, a teenaged arabamerican girl, is sent away by her mother to live with her father, after the mothers boyfriend begins paying her too much attention. Alicia erian is the author of a short story collection, the brutal language of love.
This marvelous book further confirms erian as a writer to admire. Towelhead, narrated by yearold jasira, is set in 1991 against the backdrop of the first gulf war. Towelhead by alicia erian this is one of those books that is going to make you really, really uncomfortable, like tampa, indecent, or white oleander. Feb 22, 2012 i began towelhead with a gasp and a shudder. Towelhead alternatively titled nothing is private is a 2007 american drama film written and directed by alan ball and based on alicia erians novel of the same name. Im not sure if i will do it any justice if i attempt to describe it. Probably one of my favourite reads of the year so far. Alicia erian s 2005 novel, towelhead is a coming of age story about a thirteenyearold girl named jasira, who is sent from her euroamerican mothers home in syracuse, new york to live with her lebanese father in houston, texas. A remote disciplinarian prone to explosive rages, jasiras father is unable to show his daughter the love she craves and far less able to handle her. With an overdrive account, you can save your favorite libraries for ataglance information about availability. Jasira, as a young girl, is naive to the things of the world and the desires of men. Now erian is returning with her first novel, towelhead, a contemporary comingofage story about a halflebanese girl who moves to texas to live with her strict father. I was a bit apprehensive about reading it but it blew me away.
The film, like the book, touches on issues of sexual awakening, privacy, and race. It is not easy to read any book about child abuse, and towelhead is a particularly difficult example, since it. Saddam hussein has just invaded kuwait, and jasiras mother has bought her daughter a oneway ticket to texas to live with her strict lebanese father. Alicia erians 2005 novel, towelhead is a coming of age story about a thirteenyearold girl named jasira, who is sent from her euroamerican mothers home in syracuse, new york to live with her lebanese father in houston, texas. When jasiras mother finds out what has been going on between her boyfriend and her thirteenyearold daughter, she has to make a choice and chooses to send jasira off to houston texas, to live with her father. May 06, 2019 towelhead by alicia erian this is one of those books that is going to make you really, really uncomfortable, like tampa, indecent, or white oleander. There is so much to tell about this poisedonthebrinkofadulthood stage of life. Alicia erian is the first holder of the newhouse visiting professorship of creative. Jasira, prosaically named after jasir arafat by her nowdivorced lebanese father and irish mother, cant help. It is not easy to read any book about child abuse, and towelhead is a particularly difficult example, since it graphically deals with yearold. Towelhead book by alicia erian official publisher page. Alicia erians debut novel unfolds the story of an arabamerican girl navigating an unfamiliar suburban and cultural terrain with no emotional support or direction. Towelhead by alicia erian meet your next favorite book.
How book advances and royalties works the balance careers. Jasira, prosaically named after jasir arafat by her nowdivorced lebanese father and irish mother, cant help attracting men, with her 34inch boobs, socalled by her sexually jealous mother, who sends her to live with her cheap and bossy father. Its sexy, disturbing, joyful and deep, and maybe just a little too real for comfort. Alicia erians first novel is raw, sexually frank and. When jasiras mother finds out what has been going on between her boyfriend and her thirteenyearold daughter, she has to make a choice and chooses to send jasira off to. Towelhead has been optioned by american beauty writer alan ball. The story is told in the first person by a thirteen year old girl named jasira. The film made its world premiere at the toronto international film festival on september 8, 2007 under the name nothing is private. The novel is about a thirteenyearold girl coming of age. When jasiras mother finds out what has been going on between her boyfriend and her thirteenyearold daughter, she has to make a choice and chooses to send jasira off to houston. It is a tale simply told, in straightforward language, about ageold truths that are anything but.
Child sexual abuse is a tough subject and any time a novel revolves entirely around that concept, things are going to be icky. A novel by alicia erian, 9780743285124, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Where this book is headed is indicated from the start. A tedious, fairly moronic take on the pubescent hormone surge, told by a yearold girl. Towelhead is a novel written by alicia erian and first published april 6, 2005. But why should a book portraying graphic physical and sexual child abuse entertain. A novel by alicia erian 2005, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. Youd expect provocations from a book called towelhead, but alicia erians first novel is challenging in unexpected ways. At the same time, jasira knows what she wants, which is love and acceptance and shell get it from anyone, whether it be from her father, her hunky married neighbor, her boyfriend or her other neighbor. In spite of myself, i found towelhead often entertaining, in a voyeuristic, titillating kind of way. Towelhead is a book of contraditions, especially jasira.
A handful of pages into alicia erians first novel, towelhead, we learn that the narrator, jasira, has been ejected from her mothers house in. Alicia erian towelhead read and download epub, pdf, fb2, mobi. Towelhead ebook by alicia erian 9780743288958 rakuten kobo. Erian the brutal language of love takes a dogged, unflinching look at what happens as a young. Erian, alicia towelhead 1st edition 1st printing ebay. The film, like the book, touches on issues of sexual. Alicia erian falls in first category, as exemplified in her novel, towelhead. Pdf towelhead by alicia erian download pdf free ebook. May 31, 2019 book royalties and book advances are the means by which publishers pay authors for their work. Saddam hussein has just invaded kuwait, and jasiras mother has bought her daughter a oneway ticket. The examination of alicia erians debut novel, towelhead 2005, listed among the new york times 100 most notable books of the year in 2005. Thirteenyearold jasira wants what every girl wants.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Join facebook to connect with alicia erian and others you may know. When a book publisher contracts with an author to publish a book, in essence, the author who is the holder grants the publisher the right to. Alicia erian is one of the finest young writers to come along in a decade fierce, smart, funny, and wise. But thats exactly what jasira, the yearold arabamerican heroine and narrator of towelhead, has to contend with. Slowly pull back from an airplane window to reveal int. Child sexual abuse is a tough subject and any time a novel revolves entirely around that concept, things are going to. The novel has been adapted into a film written and directed by alan ball, starring summer bishil, aaron eckhart.
She illuminates a timeless, ageless theme, our inevitable human struggle for selfhood and meaningful connection to others. Texas destiny texas trilogy book 1 pdf book download online. I found the narrative to be shallow and contrived at times. Alicia erian is the first holder of the newhouse visiting professorship of creative writing at wellesley college. Alicia erians incandescent debut novel, towelhead, will ring true for readers who remember the rarely poetic and if she cant get that from her parents, then why not from her mothers boyfriend, or her fathers musclebound neighbor, mr. I ended the novel with much the same reactions but for very different reasons. Alicia erian s incandescent debut novel, towelhead, will ring true for readers who remember the rarely poetic and if she cant get that from her parents, then why not from her mothers boyfriend, or her fathers musclebound neighbor, mr. The material was dark and disturbing but delivered in such an innocent and almost funny tone. Darin strauss, author of chang and eng and the real mccoy in towelhead alicia erian accomplishes an extraordinarily difficult thing. The amount of a book advance can range from a thousand dollars for a new author at a small publisher to a tens of millions of. Towelhead by alicia erian book cover, description, publication history. As a woman, i really wanted to relate to protagonist, yearold jarisa, product of an interracial marriage and broken home.
Read towelhead a novel by alicia erian available from rakuten kobo. The warrior and the woman pdf book download online. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the. A novel by alicia erian and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Bill roorbach, author of big bend and the smallest color.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading towelhead. Towelhead alternatively titled nothing is private is a 2007 drama film written and directed by alan ball and based on alicia erian s novel of the same name. Following is a brief overview of what the terms mean and how book royalties and advances work. Erian the brutal language of love takes a dogged, unflinching look. Gradually we become aware of shapes within the white, of thick mist rushing past. Jasira maroun, staring at the white nothingness outside. Alicia erians debut collection of stories from 2001, the brutal language of love was described as seductive, erotic, smart and tartly humorous by publishers weekly. May 2005 growing up is hard enough without the added conflicts of different cultures and warring parents. Alicia erian towelhead read and download epub, pdf, fb2. Towelhead by alicia erian overdrive rakuten overdrive. The amount of the advance against royalties is based on many factors. Not yet a beauty, but well on her way to becoming one. An incredible novel about a young girl of arabic descent coming of age and discovering her sexuality in the southern united states.
502 986 1471 1565 823 150 1364 468 1223 1122 1500 169 177 544 52 876 185 652 1250 593 87 784 535 624 79 784 536 272 1575 1003 1493 949 567 606 70 1261 259 920 80