One of the
New York Times
's 100 Notable Books of 2020 Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize,
The Beauty of Your Face
is “a story of outsiders coming together in surprising and uplifting ways” (
New York Times Book Review
, Editors’ Choice).
tells a uniquely American story in powerful, evocative prose. Afaf Rahman, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, is the principal of a Muslim school in the Chicago suburbs. One morning, a shooter—radicalized by the online alt-right—attacks the school. As Afaf listens to his terrifying progress, we are swept back through her memories, and into a profound and “moving” (
Bustle
) exploration of one woman’s life in a nation at odds with its ideals.