THE SISTERS

638pp., paperback, Sceptre, London, 2025

ISBN: 9781399753593

First published in the USA in 2025.

An epic family saga about three Swedish-Tunisian sisters raised in Stockholm, Ina, Evelyn and Anastasia Mikkola, and their friend Jonas, whose life intersects with theirs across decades and continents, from Tunis to Berlin and New York. When Evelyn disappears, it’s Jonas who tracks her down – and helps her to break a curse that's been hanging over the family for years.

"In Scandinavia, Khemiri is easily one of the most respected and decorated authors of my generation. This book, his seventh, is a classic story about sibling rivalry, and it follows three chaotic and loving sisters over a period of thirty years ... Khemiri, who is also of Swedish and Tunisian descent, lives and teaches in New York; he's a true citizen of the world, and he captures that experience in an exceptionally vivid way. This is one of the best novels I've ever read about the complexities of mixed heritage. At nearly seven hundred pages, the book is quite long, but Khemiri's language is propulsive - it possesses a flow and a tempo that makes you forget that you're reading" Fredrik Backman, New Yorker

"The Sisters is a novel of unsurpassed tenderness. It is about the power of stories, to make and break and finally heal us. Jonas Hassen Khemiri is a born storyteller, of rare and astonishing gifts. Every character - every sentence - is startlingly, indubitably alive" Katie Kitamura, author of Intimacies

Jonas Hassen Khemiri (b. 1978) has a Tunisian father and a Swedish mother. He grew up in Stockholm, studied economics in Paris and been an intern at the UN in New York. He is the author of six previous novels, seven plays, and a collection of short stories and essays. His debut novel, Ett öga rött (2003), was awarded the Borås Tidning award for best literary debut. His second novel, Montecore, received Swedish Radio’s Romanpris award for best novel of 2007. His work has been translated into more that 35 languages. The Sisters is his first book written in English. The recipient of a Cullman Fellowship at the New York Public Library, his work has appeared in the New York Times, the New Yorker, and numerous other publications. He lives in Brooklyn and teaches creative writing at New York University.