You Exist Too Much

In Zaina Arafat's debut novel, a young Palestinian-American girl navigates her identity amidst cultural expectations and personal desires, with the narrative unfolding through vivid vignettes set in both the Middle East and Brooklyn. As she transitions from adolescence to adulthood, her journey explores themes of love, shame, and self-discovery, culminating in her confrontation with her own emotional complexities. The story delicately examines the deep longings for connection and belonging that shape her path.