Three Parties

by Ziyad Saadi

A queer Palestinian refugee plans to come out at his elaborate birthday dinner party in this tragicomic modern reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway.

Firas Dareer wakes up on his twenty-third birthday with a sense of today he’ll jump from a Stage 3 to a Stage 6 in his self-determined Coming Out Scale, professing his sexuality to a captive audience of immediate and extended family, friends, acquaintances, coworkers, and neighbours. But despite the meticulously designed invitations, carefully chosen place settings and floral centerpieces, painstakingly curated playlist, and agonizingly fretted-over menu, factors begin to spin out of his control.

Threatening to thwart his big moment are his younger brother, whose mental fragility requires him to be monitored at all times; his cantankerous grandfather, who’s just completed his third escape from the retirement home; the Dareers’ embittered housekeeper (and Firas’s arch nemesis), who could scoop the story before he gets the chance; his harried boss, who on this of all days calls him into work at the architecture firm, where his colleagues share a talent for butchering his name; and his mother, whose accidental text message may have blown the cover of an illicit extra-marital affair. There’s also the fact that Firas too has found himself in a love triangle of sorts, choosing between soft and steady Tyrese and fiery Kashif, who makes a sport out of demonstrating how Palestinian he is.

As the future Firas has precisely architected for himself slips further out of his grasp, the past comes crashing in like a wrecking ball. Sharp, darkly funny, and full of surprises, Three Parties pays twisted homage to a literary classic, gleefully upends the western coming-out narrative, and sensitively explores the traumas and pressures faced by Palestinian immigrants—all in the span of a single life-changing day.

Genres: Fiction, LGBT, Retellings, Queer, Contemporary, Adult, Gay

320 pages, Hardcover

Published August 26, 2025

Reviews

[Sunny Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tea was fucking crazyyyyyy

[Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75⭐️
Ummm...

"Three Parties" centers around the preparation and chaos of Firas' upcoming birthday/coming out party. The story unfolds, traveling back and forth in the minds and memories of a cast of characters and all concluding with a fateful event that changes everything.

I'll be honest, I've never read "Mrs. Dalloway," but I do love a good Virginia Woolf, especially if it's a queer-er retelling; however, this book doesn't quite meet the same standard of the source material, I'm afraid. While I applaud Saadi and their ability to take key points of Woolf's work and adapt them to a more current world, many of the more critical topics get lost in the sauce, making this a mish-mash of themes and ideas. I appreciate the author's ability to come at the source material in a new way, but I am saddened that to not enjoy this book more.

I won't go into too many details or spoilers, but I have to voice my main gripe: the main character, Firas. The primary motivation of this character is to create an unforgettable experience and come out to his friends, family, and co-workers; a solid premise that sadly gets muddled when brought to the realm of reality. What early 20 year old would ever choose to share a "coming out" experience on their birthday, let alone coordinating it as an elaborate dinner and party? This might be more of a "me" problem, because I would never conceive of doing anything to that level of complexity for my own coming out, especially considering the amount of expectation that places on the guests and family in response to this news!

I'll stop my rant there (because I could go on to even further points), but I'll chalk it up to say this book was not my favorite. I see what the vision was, but the execution did not meet the same level. I hope to see more from Saadi and perhaps read another one of their works in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an ARC of this work!

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into this -- it reads like it's a strange mash-up between a Young Adult novel and a full-on adult extravaganza. It blots out what seems to be an interesting story.

[Ryan Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Three Parties” is such a beautifully written novel about the complexities of finding identity - even among your family, sexuality and how having to leave behind your home country can impact the generations to follow. This book is a gem; equally parts messy, sad, and moving, but very much grounded in the realities of today’s climate. Ziyad Saadi is a gift! ❤️

On an unrelated note, shoutout to the Wayne State mentions!

[K.S.C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally don’t enjoy literary fiction. I find the prose tedious and dragging. This book was on the edge of what I can mange without getting bored. If you enjoy literary fiction, it is likely an amazing read you will really enjoy.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but I was very surprised with where this story went! This story was poignant, funny, and emotionally devastating, all wrapped up in a single day's events. Written in a free-flowing, train of thought, style, this book was a beautiful tale that I thoroughly enjoyed!

This book follows Firas, a young Palestinian man, who is trying to plan a birthday party for himself, as a way to come out to his family. Firas, while trying to maintain his exacting plans for the party, is often thwarted by his family's ignorance to what he has planned, as well as Firas' broader friend group that keep adding to the day's events. Firas keeps trying to maintain his plan for the party, but he keeps getting thwarted by his grandfather's escape from his nursing home, a surprise call from work, and a devastating turn of events within his family.

I found Firas a very interesting character, and resonated with how anxious he is as a person. His focus 0n how he's perceived, and trying to fit himself into his differing social circles felt very true to life. His meticulous planning that keeps going awry brought some much needed humour to the weight of the family dynamics that are examined in this book. The Dareer family dynamic was fascinating to read, with the drifting apart that is highlighted throughout the book, as well as his relationships with each member of the family. The humour in each snag in Firas's plans give the story a lightness needed for the end of the book, which I found devastating. This book will stay with me for a while, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I received an eARC of this book from Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

[helen :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

book received through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

going to start by saying that i’ve never read virginia woolf’s mrs. dalloway! so to my eyes this story was brand new with no past knowledge.

i didn’t have any idea what to expect since i’m pretty sure this was my first tragicomic, and i loved it! the tone was kept lighthearted while discussing heavier topics, easily transitioning into a somber voice when needed. i thought that was really well done.

firas is honest. he’s not a character who’s “i love my family” “i hate this person” “yes, no, not really”. any opinion was expressed and explained, and the response was so very human. his character wasn’t sugar coated. there were times when i didn’t agree with something he thought or did, but i found that i didn’t dislike him being disagreeable. it made him more real.

the dynamic between the dareer family members was also very real. it was something that showed how leaving your home country, moving to the west and having children grow up with that culture, shifting from one to another, can shake a home’s foundation while the people inside hold on to the pieces they brought with them.

while reading i realized how different everyone on this planet is yet not. i’m me, singular, my story is mine and only mine. yet there are others out in the world, coming from corners very different to mine, but our connection is our sexuality and how we feel in it. we all arrived to the same place in very different ways.

has a good note of how mental illness is blameless to any one person. that it’s something that can wrench back and forth within a person without being seen.

sobering reminders that the occupation in gaza is real and still happening. there are lasting effects that come through in families even if they’ve crossed an ocean.

no matter the distance and time, we’re all connected to the place we’re born from.

[Eva B.]

So here for the Company vibes the summary is giving!

[Nick Artrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I requested and received an eARC of Three Parties by Ziyad Saadi via NetGalley. In a tragicomic modern reimagining of Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, Firas Dareer wakes up on his twenty-third birthday with the determination to come out of the closet. He has carefully planned a party for himself, with special invitations and a meticulously curated guest list, with the intention of announcing his sexuality to his family and friends.

What an interesting novel! While I couldn’t necessarily connect with Firas’ desire to throw himself such an intricate coming out party, I did appreciate the Dalloway spirit of the story. Also, this decision totally checks out for Firas. Sharing space with his mind for the pages of Three Parties was an interesting journey. He’s plagued by anxiety from nearly every corner of his life, constantly worrying about how he is perceived or how he is failing in one way or another. Although Firas and I differ in culture and identity, I really connected with this aspect of his character and the incredible nuance given to his characterization. As I read the novel and Firas tried his darndest to maintain order, I found myself rooting for him, wishing everything would go exactly as he planned.

The characters that populate Three Parties are all quite interesting and fully realized. I really enjoyed unpacking the Dareer family dynamic, but I kept finding myself drawn to the passages that included Kashif. This was a book that I took my time with. I finished it in small chunks over the course over a couple of weeks, but every time I returned to the book it was easy to settle back in. In many ways, this novel subverts the traditional coming out narrative and I really think Saadi offers a fresh perspective through the eyes of a very able protagonist in the form of Firas. The novel is also timely. Firas and his family are Palestinian refugees which adds an extra layer of complexity to the story that I think is well-worth examining.

[Larry H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m always fascinated by retellings and reimaginings. Ziyad Saadi’s debut novel is a reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway , which was also reimagined in The Hours (one of my favorite books of all time), so I was very interested to read this.

Today is Firas’ 23rd birthday. He’s throwing himself a dinner party with a greater purpose than simply celebrating the day of his birth, however. He plans to officially come out to his family, friends, and coworkers. He’s trying to remain calm as the time of the party draws closer, but his stress level is rising.

While he wonders how his Palestinian parents will react to the news, Firas is also making sure every last detail of the party is perfect. He’s planned the menu, the decorations, even the floral arrangements. But you know what they say about the best-laid plans…

Firas is constantly worried about how he is perceived—by his family, his colleagues and friends, even the two men he is dating. The thought of falling short in anyone’s eyes appalls him, and of course, the more you worry about failing the greater the likelihood that you might fail. Meanwhile, crises within his family threaten to upend the party—and there’s even the possibility that his secret might get exposed before he’s ready to share it.

Much like Mrs. Dalloway , this book takes place over the course of one day. It’s a tremendously thought-provoking read with occasional bursts of humor.

I’m not certain if this book didn’t work for me as much as I’d hoped because I can’t imagine throwing a party to reveal a secret like this, or if the plot became overly complicated. Saadi’s talent is definitely evident and I look forward to seeing what’s next for his career.

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.

[Janna G. Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Parties is an interesting story. Palestinian-American refugee Firas Dareer is getting ready to host a party for his twenty-third birthday. Throughout his party planning, he's meticulously chosen the invitations, menu, flowers, music, etc. that's all supposed to subtly allude to his intention to use the party for a vehicle to come out as gay to his family and friends. But on the day of the party, a series of ill-timed roadblocks from the various whacky people in his periphery threaten to overshadow or altogether eliminate his big moment.

The story is darkly humorous with Firas's constant over-analysis of everything going on and penchant for seeing endless layers of symbolism that don't exist that match his own convoluted way of thinking. This made for pages of lengthy paragraphs of navel-gazing that did slow the book's pace down. I've never read Mrs. Dalloway, of which Three Parties is a modern queer reimagining, but other reviews suggest this relentless overthinking is a key element of the source material. Either way, for me it did make the book read much longer than how short it is.

Underpinning it all are the dynamics of the Dareer family—Firas and his parents, his sister, and his emotionally fragile brother—and the way they’ve all changed, drifting apart both relationally and culturally by generation after having immigrated to the United States, a fact made more poignant given their home country is occupied Palestine. Ultimately, Three Parties is a exploration of self-identity and how that of Palestinian immigrants and refugees in particular may never be as open and free in their new country while their native land remains under brutal oppression. Three and a half stars.

[Andrew Hickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the spirit of Mrs. Dalloway, a queer Palestinian is throwing an overly complicated birthday party where he plans on coming out to his family. Set over the course of the day the novel spends time recentering many of the ideas of Woolf’s novel while adding its own.

I was skeptical at first seeing as how Woolf’s novel is already a touchstone of queer literature but Saadi’s novel manages to have much of the same impact. The writing is less focused on stream of consciousness yet still managing to dive into the characters thoughts and feelings, touching on ideas of queer identity and its intersections of family and religion and the state of Palestine and the immigrant life. There are many ideas at work in the novel and while some are more fleshed out than others it feels correct seeing its main inspiration also played with many ideas.

Saadi’s writing at first is very simple and easy to jump into and as the novel progresses it becomes more eloquent and complicated. A small critique is it seems that possibly Saadi was too afraid to use stream of consciousness for all of the novel (but who’s to blame knowing its reception with modern audiences) but when the writing shifts closer to matching Woolf’s style it becomes beautiful and often poetic.

I’m excited to see what Saadi does after this and look forward to reading more from them.

Thanks to Penguin Canada and NetGalley for providing an earc.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. More than being a line-by-line (or plot-for-plot) retelling of Mrs. Dalloway, this book has big Mrs. Dalloway vibes. When I finished, I came away feeling like this was a very specific story that offered commentary on wider cultural issues, much like Mrs. Dalloway. The novel takes place on a single day as Firas executes his planned 23rd birthday and coming-out party. Also included are many memories and flashbacks that fill in the gaps in our understanding along the way, although not always in a linear manner. The main character here is not 100% likable, and his decision-making is often hard to watch, but this didn't bother me as much as I would have thought. The reader is inside Firas's head, but we aren't asked to "be" Firas, merely to witness his thoughts and be along for the journey. I did find the book challenging at times, but there is a wry/darkly comic sensibility about the whole thing that just *worked* - I really enjoyed this book and all it made me think about.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, but this is a retelling of that novel set on the day of Firas Dareer's 23rd birthday as he goes about making preparations both for the party and for finally coming out of the closet.
It was beautifully written and oftentimes I got swept up in the narrative, not really knowing where it was going but happy to be along for the ride. And though I don't know how it compares to Mrs. Dalloway (I've only read the summary of it on wikipedia), I think it's an important story of how we prepare for the future and remember the past and how trauma still informs our lives. Definitely one I will be thinking about for quite a while.

[Jasper · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really enjoyed the structure and prose of this book, and thought it was a beautiful portrait of aching for a home you fear that you may never see again in your lifetime. i had the privilege of having ziyad saadi as a guest at my monthly book club, and really appreciated his personal insights as well.

[Athena A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4.4] for me, HIGHLY ANTICIPATED since i read this author’s short story in Thyme Travellers (a Gazan anthology) — i’d choose this Queer Palestinian retelling over the original any day. though discombobulating at times, im into the chaos and acute social consciousness building of it all as this kid undergoes another solar return.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a book! Probably the most important book I’ll read this year. It’s a must read, with so many levels. I assure you it will stay with you long after you read it.
What a fabulous Canadian author debut.

[Mike Broderick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I plodded through and it did actually heat up.

And, the connections he made between his personal struggles and Palestine became clearer and actually was well done.

However, too long to get there and I’m not sure my score will drive anyone back to this one.

[rachel x]

"A queer Palestinian refugee plans to come out at his elaborate birthday dinner party in this tragicomic modern reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway."

intrigued

[Sara Malti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed I cried I stopped reading because it was too real and then I finished it. Amazing experience reading this book.

[Kale · Rating 3 out of 5]

In which I remembered why I do not read literary fiction. This made me so mad and sad that I cried on public transit.

[Ash Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Firas still needed to get dressed, set the tables, and complete a hundred other tasks. He had also scheduled a ten minute break to cry.”