Fencing with the King

One of The Millions’ Most Anticipated Books of the Month A mesmerizing breakthrough novel of family myths and inheritances by the award-winning author of Crescent. The King of Jordan is turning 60! How better to celebrate the occasion than with his favorite pastimeΓÇöfencingΓÇöand with his favorite sparring partner,Gabriel Hamdanwho must be enticed back from Americawhere he lives with his wife and his daughterAmani. Amania divorced poetjumps at the chance to accompany her father to his homeland for the KingΓÇÖs birthday. Her fatherΓÇÖs past is a mystery to herΓÇöeven more so since she found a poem on blue airmail paper slipped into one of his old Arabic bookswritten by his mothera Palestinian refugee who arrived in Jordan during World War I. Her words hint at a long-kept family secretcarefully guarded by Uncle Hafezan advisor to the Kingwho has quite personal reasons for inviting his brother to the birthday party. In a sibling rivalry that carries ancient echoesthe Hamdan brothers must face a reckoningwith themselves and with each otherΓÇöone that almost costs Amani her life. With sharp insight into modern politics and family dynamicstaboos around mental illnessand our inescapable relationship to the pastFencing with the King asks how we contend with inheritance: familial and culturalhidden and openly contested. Shot through with warmth and vitalityintelligence and spiritit is absorbing and satisfying on every levela wise and rare literary treat.