# Beyond Babylon - Hardcover

by **Igiaba Scego** (Author), **Aaron Robertson** (Translator), **Jhumpa Lahiri** (Introduction by)

**Introduction by Jhumpa Lahiri**

Recipient of a prestigious 2018 PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grant

An epic spread across three nations, _Beyond Babylon_ casts a probing, endlessly perceptive eye on the lasting effects of traumas both national and personal. Telling the engrossing lives of two half-sisters who meet coincidentally in Tunisia, their mothers, and the elusive father who ties all their stories together, Igiaba Scego's virtuosic novel spreads thickly over Argentina's horrific dirty war, the chaotic final years of Siad Barre's brutal dictatorship in Somalia--which ended in catastrophic civil war--and the modern-day excesses of Italy's right-wing politics.

United by the Italian government's attempts to establish authoritarian politics in Somalia, Argentina, and at home, Scego's kaleidoscopic plot investigates deep questions about our complicity in the governments that we often feel powerless to affect. In its myriad characters, locations, and languages, it brings new definition to identity in a fast-changing world of migrants and political upheaval. Most of all, Scego's five poignant lives anchor this sprawling work as they fight to build family ties while overcoming past violations, including governmental torture and sexual assault. A masterwork equally as adept with the lives of nations as those of human beings, _Beyond Babylon_ brings much-needed insight, compassion, and understanding to our turbulent world.

### Author Biography

Igiaba Scego, born in Rome in 1974 to a family of Somali origins, is a writer and journalist. She is the author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, and her memoir _La mia casa è dove sono_ won Italy's prestigious Mondello Prize. She is a frequent contributor to the magazine _Internazionale_ and the supplement to _La Repubblica, Il Venerdì di Repubblica_.

Jhumpa Lahiri received the Pulitzer Prize in 2000 for _Interpreter of Maladies,_ her debut story collection. She is also the author of _The Namesake, Unaccustomed Earth,_ and _The Lowland,_ a finalist for both the Man Booker prize and the National Book Award in fiction.

Aaron Robertson has written for various publications including _The New York Times, The Nation, n+1, The Los Angeles Review of Books_, and more, and he is currently an editor at _Literary Hub_. He won a 2018 PEN/Heim grant for his translation of Igiaba Scego's _Beyond Babylon_.

**Number of Pages:** 464

**Dimensions:** 1.4 x 8.1 x 5 IN

**Publication Date:** May 14, 2019

## Details

- **Price:** 22.95 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
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## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 22.95 USD | In stock |

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- Beyond Babylon - Hardcover

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