In an "unnamed middle eastern city."
It doesn't matter the sexual orientation of the humans involved, i get grossed out by sex scenes in books. It makes me decrease the stars I rate it, and it only detracts from the work.
Two young men are in love. One of them lives with his grandmother, and has a translation service, having studied English in a college in the U.S. The other is from the upper class and lives with his parents.
The country is going through upheavals:
2016 Paperback Other Press LLC
P.78-9:
"for a long time interpreting felt like the purest form of bridging worlds. if I couldn't say what is truly on my mind then at least I would be able to mold the words of others, illuminating each world for the other and finding the point where both meet. a bridge is a position of power, and whenever possible I try to use such power for good. But when I see that the words I am asked to translate are blatant lies then it is my job to do something. because if the lies come out of my mouth, if they pass through me even if they belong to someone else am I not complicit in them? In those situations, I misinterpret. there's an art to misinterpreting. It needs to be done subtly so that it doesn't cause chaos, but just enough to leave a lingering sense of confusion. Nowadays, when everything is uncertain, it is easier than ever to misinterpret. Lies are everywhere. They hang from our lips, lies built on more lies until we don't know what the truth is anymore. that is the moment when misinterpreting can do good. But words have power. America taught me that."

Guapa, the title of the book, is the name of a bar. In the basement of Guapa, is an after hours gay scene.
P.126:
"many of the best looking men only had eyes for the foreigners, because they were a get out of jail free card. the reality is that the get out of jail free card only materialized for a lucky handful over the years, so much so that I don't understand why those poor men even bother. but you could immediately tell from the type of Foreigner that came in what goods he wanted to purchase. some of them were slight, wearing expensive suits and constantly touching their coiffured hair. the manly men, the taxi drivers, banking on a piece of ass and a foreign passport, would rush over, light The Foreigner's cigarette, and puff out their chests. when a foreigner strutted in with his balls hanging like two footballs, the younger boys would clamor around him, batting their eyelashes, their butts up in the air for the Foreigner to take a sniff and make a selection."
( )

Rasa's life has changed dramatically overnight. Last night, his grandmother caught him in bed with his lover, Taymour. Tonight, Taymour is getting married to a woman. And one of his best friends, Maj, is missing, likely arrested sometime during the night. None of these are things he can be open about. And even if he could, his grandmother isn't speaking to him, and she's the only family he has. Beyond his personal struggles, the political situation in his country is getting worse. As a translator for foreign journalists, he gets called out on a job that puts him face-to-face with one of the leaders of the resistance. And with everything going on in his life, he can't help reflecting more and more on who he is and who he wants to be. He spent time in the United States, a land of "freedom." He came back home, and for a while he had hope for his people. But what does it mean to be free? And who gets to dictate how another person should live? If there will always be a power majority, what hope does the minority have?
Although the premise of this story seems simple, it's a rather deep read. I found myself thinking and reflecting quite often while I was reading. Rasa is an intelligent young man, and he's engaged in the world around him. He knows that some parts of his situation are beyond his control. He also knows that he needs to find a way to live with that if he's going to stop himself from breaking. While he lacks support in some areas of his life, he does have support in others. And maybe it's those others that need his focus.

I don't want to spoil too much, but there is one specific point in the book that I need to comment on. When Rasa is thinking back to his time in the United States, he describes his thoughts on being open about his sexuality. He mentions that he could choose to live openly. He could show up places and say he's proud of who he is. He could pretend to be comfortable in his skin. But that would be a lie. He wasn't comfortable. He was still trying to come to terms with who he is. His other option would be to make it known that he experienced discomfort and shame. But that would lead to people labeling him a victim of religion and society. Neither of those felt right to him, so he chose neither option.

This point got me thinking and reflecting. I sometimes have to remind people that coming out stories are still relevant. It can be easy to dismiss them as outdated as more people are coming out at younger ages. While some parts of society are becoming more accepting and open, that doesn't mean everyone feels comfortable being out. And some people are hesitant to speak up about it because it has nothing to do with religion or society. Coming out to yourself can be a difficult process on its own. And coming to terms with that can be difficult, even without any outside influences. So it's important to remember that there are all kinds of reasons that people struggle. And it's equally important that we tell and share those stories.

I also appreciated that this story focused on a young man from the Middle East. I almost never see LGBT stories that take place in that part of the world. And we need to have stories where people can find themselves. Just as much as we need stories where people can learn about those different from themselves.

[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.] ( )

This book is not a usual read for me, and walked into it with no expectations. It takes place over one very full day (unrealistically full, but whatever) and follows Rasa, a young closeted gay man in an "unnamed Arab country" who is wrestling not only with his personal identity, but with a struggle between westernization and traditionalism. There's a lot going on here, and the book explores Rasa's upbringing by his very conservative grandmother is at odds with his more western education and mindset.

I found the concept of eib, something like cultural shame, fascinating. There's a similar concept in Chinese culture: that of saving face, though eib has another layer of traditionalism to it.

Rasa's country is on the brink of change, and the struggle between the more Western way of life is at odds with the more conservative traditions. This is echoed within Rasa as he struggles personally with that dichotomy. Rasa doesn't feel like he quite belongs - either in his country, in his family, and sometimes within his own skin.

Well worth the read. ( )

5 stars are not enough. 100 stars. Buried in this book there is an accusation that this story does not belong to me. And yet the story knows, and I'm pretty sure that the author also knows, that in this story he has seen into my soul. And in a world where this story is nowhere to be heard, I am profoundly grateful for Guapa and for Saleem Haddad. Easily the most important book I have read all year. ( )

"I live within this prison of contradictions that fight one another like stray cats in my mind."

Spanning a day in the life of Rasa, bookended by two epic events, we see his life reflected through flashbacks. All at once this story was told with passion, difficulty and humour. It was heart breaking, as the weight of 'eib' (a version of shame) - determinedly clings to everything and everyone. We see how momentous events, of world scale, manifest themselves in the lives of ordinary people. The characters are struggling to define themselves, whilst the city around them is descending into chaotic destruction. Everyone has a vision of the ideal - from an activists plans for a dream city, radiating neighbourhoods out from a network of mosques, to Rasa dream to live together with his lover. This was a fantastic debut novel - it wove into the fabric of the story such important history and issues - in such a way they seamless floated with the story, with no hint of any heavy handedness. ( )