My Friends

A stunning novel from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of *The Return*—a heartbreaking, lyrical story of friendship, family, and the unthinkable realities of exile.

One evening, as a young boy growing up in Benghazi, Khaled hears a bizarre short story on the radio about a man being eaten by a cat. Shocked by the sheer power of this unforgettable tale, he becomes determined to track down its author, Hosam Zawa. His search leads him to Egypt, the city of his childhood, and then to London, where, as a university student, he finally befriends the admired writer.

Soon, Khaled is part of a world of exiles, poets, and writers who have become his friends. But in the aftermath of the Libyan revolution of 2011, as the country is wracked by violence, he is forced to confront the unimaginable realities of civil war and the lasting impacts of dislocation on those he loves. He must also grapple with the complicated relationship between the life he has built for himself and the homeland he left behind.

Moving from Libya to Egypt to London and finally to the American Southwest, *My Friends* is a profound and intimate exploration of the power of friendship and the ways in which politics and violence can shape and define our lives. It is a devastating and timely novel from one of our most gifted writers.