Arab Boy Delivered

A Novel

By: Paul Aziz Zarou

Narrated by: Peter Ganim

Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

As Michael maneuvers through his working-class neighborhood delivering groceries, he enters the homes and lives of his customers. He’s confronted by the school yard and street corner violence of local thugs. With the 1967 Arab-Israeli War fresh in public memory, he passes for Greek or Italian and never summons the courage to explain, exactly, who he is or where his parents came from.

Michael weighs his obligations to his tight-knit family and sees before him a life of constricted ambitions. Then he falls for a radical college coed, returned to the neighborhood after two years of college. She teaches Michael about sex, love, the obligation to protest injustice. His life is buffeted by the killing of Martin Luther King Jr. and the death, two months later, of Bobby Kennedy. His girlfriend opens his eyes to the ongoing national struggle to test national ideals against the growing diversity of America.

Michael grieves with a mother whose only son died in the Vietnam War and is embraced by the first Black couple who move into the neighborhood. The people he meets shape him. His mind is a potpourri of his experiences: hatred, kindness, his own sexual awakening. Michael struggles to figure out who this dutiful son of an immigrant family is becoming in a rapidly emerging modern world, epitomized by the big, brash, obnoxious city on the other side of the East River.

©2022 Paul Aziz Zarou (P)2022 Random House Audio

A Masterpiece of Heart and History

In "Arab Boy Delivered: A Novel," author Paul Zarou weaves a tapestry of eloquent prose and poignant storytelling that transcends the boundaries of time and place. Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous sixties, this novel delves into the life of Michael Haddad, a teenage son of Palestinian immigrants navigating the complexities of identity, love, and societal upheaval in the heart of New York City.

From the very first page, readers are captivated by the richly detailed world of Michael's family grocery store and the vibrant characters who inhabit it. The author's exquisite writing effortlessly transports us to the streets of 1960s New York, where racial tensions simmer and political unrest looms large.

What truly sets this novel apart is its ability to seamlessly blend the personal with the political. Through Michael's eyes, we witness the profound impact of historical events such as the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, as well as the ongoing struggle for civil rights and social justice. Yet, amidst the turmoil, there are moments of beauty and humanity that shine through, reminding us of the resilience of the human spirit.But perhaps the greatest strength of "Arab Boy Delivered: A Novel" lies in its exploration of identity and belonging. As Michael grapples with his heritage, his budding romance with a radical college coed, and the loss of loved ones, he undergoes a journey of self-discovery that is both universal and deeply personal. The author's keen insight and sensitivity to the human experience are evident on every page, as Michael learns to reconcile his past with his present and forge his own path forward.

In the end, "Arab Boy Delivered: A Novel" is a masterful work of literature that resonates long after the final page is turned. With its compelling characters, immersive storytelling, and lyrical prose, this is a book that demands to be savored and celebrated. A triumph of the human spirit and a testament to the power of love, resilience, and hope, "Arab Boy Delivered: A Novel" is nothing short of a modern classic.