Roots of the Banyan Tree. By Kathryn Silver-Hajo
Kathryn Silver-Hajo’s debut novel paints an unforgettable portrait of the life of young protagonist, Noor, as she navigates the dangers of civil war in her native Lebanon and the challenges of life in the diaspora in the New York City of the 1970s. Silver-Hajo deftly portrays the tragedy of a country torn apart by sectarian conflict, but also the excitement of the teenaged narrator’s coming-of-age adventures. But when her mother reveals a closely-held secret, Noor is shaken, yet wiser and more determined than ever to define her place in the world. The characters and events that animate Roots of the Banyan Tree promise to burrow deep in readers’ hearts and refuse to be forgotten.
Kathryn Silver-Hajo’s debut novel paints an unforgettable portrait of the life of young protagonist, Noor, as she navigates the dangers of civil war in her native Lebanon and the challenges of life in the diaspora in the New York City of the 1970s. Silver-Hajo deftly portrays the tragedy of a country torn apart by sectarian conflict, but also the excitement of the teenaged narrator’s coming-of-age adventures. But when her mother reveals a closely-held secret, Noor is shaken, yet wiser and more determined than ever to define her place in the world. The characters and events that animate Roots of the Banyan Tree promise to burrow deep in readers’ hearts and refuse to be forgotten.
Kathryn Silver-Hajo’s debut novel paints an unforgettable portrait of the life of young protagonist, Noor, as she navigates the dangers of civil war in her native Lebanon and the challenges of life in the diaspora in the New York City of the 1970s. Silver-Hajo deftly portrays the tragedy of a country torn apart by sectarian conflict, but also the excitement of the teenaged narrator’s coming-of-age adventures. But when her mother reveals a closely-held secret, Noor is shaken, yet wiser and more determined than ever to define her place in the world. The characters and events that animate Roots of the Banyan Tree promise to burrow deep in readers’ hearts and refuse to be forgotten.
Kathryn Silver-Hajo is a 2023 Pushcart Prize, Best Small Fictions, and Best American Food Writing nominee who writes short fiction, long fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, mostly about life and relationships in the U.S. and Lebanon. Her stories, "In the Thicket" (The Sunlight Press) and "She'd Always Been Sure He'd Outlive Her" (New Flash Fiction Review) were selected for the Wigleaf Top 50 2024 Longlist. "The Sweet Softness of Dates" (Roi Fainéant) was selected for the Wigleaf 2023 Longlist. Her story, For Better, For Worse, was shortlisted in Fractured Lit’s 2022 Reprint Prize.