What the reviews are saying.
"It’s a story of survival and hope, forgiveness and connection. It’s not just about the beauty of Afaf’s face, as the title implies, it’s about the beauty of her heart and the hearts of the people around her, no matter how lonely or scared they are."
— Elisabeth Egan, The New York Times
“Mustafah powerfully demonstrates the human capacity for redemption and renewal. This inviting, topical tale will stay with readers.”
“The Beauty of Your Face is a complex generational novel that is all too relevant in today’s divided America.”
— Emma Doettling, The Michigan Daily
“Debut novelist Sahar Mustafah traces a Palestinian American's determination to face down her worst fears, within both her family and the school she's called to protect.”
— Jennifer Brown, Shelf Awareness
“The Beauty of Your Face, a debut novel by Sahar Mustafah, tells the rich and complicated story of Afaf Rahman, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants and principal of a Chicago school for Muslim girls.”
— Heather John Fogarty, Los Angeles Times
“The Beauty of Your Face positions Mustafah as a celebrated voice in the Palestinian-American literary movement. She pens an emotional and rich journey, laden with awareness and intrigue. The Beauty of Your Face testifies to shared humanity, one derived from schisms and connections.”
— Elisabeth Woronzoff, Pop Matters
“For all its sobriety and nuance, Mustafah’s prose stays clear, bright, and even lighthearted".”
— Terry Galvan, Third Coast Review
Further US Coverage. International Coverage.
Chicago Reader, Interview Chicago Magazine, Interview la Repubblica, Review Avvenire, Review
Pigeon Page, Interview Sixty Inches From Center, Interview Il Fatto Quotidiano, Review Internazionale, Review
Al Jadid, Review Hypertext, Interview Il Manifesto, Review GiudettaLegge, Review
The National News, Review The Book Sandwich, Review Iosonominoranza, Review Platform, Interview
Counterpunch, Review Most Anticipated: The Millions, The Lily, and Lit Hub Female First, Author Essay Writer’s Forum, Interview
Columbia College, Interview Women Reading Podcast, Review Traversing Tradition, Review The New Arab, Review
Electric Lit, Author Round-up Poets & Writers, Author Round-up The Punch Magazine, Interview
New Lit City, Review Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, Review