A CALAMITY OF NOBLE HOUSES, translated from the Arabic by Miled Faiza and Karen McNeil

363pp., paperback, First English Language Edition, Europa Editions, London, 2025

ISBN: 9781787705586

This novel, set in Tunisia, was first published in Arabic in 2020 as Nazila dãr al-akãbir.

When Zubaida, the young wife of Mohsen Ennaifer, is suspected of a clandestine love affair with Tahar, a intellectual of humble origins known for his union activism and support for women’s rights, the destinies of two prominent families are changed forever.

The story is told by eleven different narrators, members of the two families, who recall them in different historical moments, from the 1940s to the present day.

"Amira Ghenim's sweeping, multigenerational historical novel A Calamity of Noble Houses is not just a fictionalized version of [Tahar Haddad's] life, but a kaleidoscopic portrait of Tunisian history" The New York Times

“Suspenseful, compelling, and often darkly humorous ... A gripping exploration of motherhood, social inequality, and personal identity.” Bookster

Tunisian writer Amira Ghenim (b. 1978) teaches linguistics and translation at Tunis University. She was awarded the Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamad Prize in 2020. A Calamity of Noble Houses is her English language debut.