Hala and I discuss The Arsonists’ City, the character she enjoyed writing the most, wanting to provide a deeper understanding of Lebanon to her readers, how and why intergenerational conflict and secrets provide great fodder for writers, wanting to incorporate the recent political events in Lebanon into her story, and more. The Arsonists’ City can be purchased at Murder by the Book or the CFAP Bookshop storefront. Hala’s 3 recommended reads are: Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett Support the podcast here. For more information about sponsoring an episode, click here. If you enjoy reading contemporary fiction and want to listen to more podcast episodes like this one, try Nancy Johnson, Julie Carrick Dalton, Madeleine Henry, Mateo Askaripour, and Te-Ping Chen.

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