A New Year

by Leila Aboulela

A story about family, aging, fresh starts and the beautiful things that happen when we least expect them to. Suad misses her husband. He died unexpectedly during an argument at work, and she never got to say goodbye. But Suad knows she is lucky.

Her three children have promised to look after her. After several false starts, Suad receives a warm welcome from her oldest son and settles down with his family in the countryside.

Everything goes smoothly – at first. Her grandchildren love her crunchy, homemade falafel and watching TV together. But as time goes on, things between Suad and her daughter-in-law grow tense. Soon, her daughter-in-law stops giving her lifts into town. She accuses Suad of interfering with how she raises her children. Then she won't talk to Suad. Finally, she asks her to leave the house. For the first time, Suad is on her own.

Determined to make the best of it, Suad makes a new life for herself. How can she budget for just one person? How can she fill the long hours? And will her new neighbours warm to her?


Leila Aboulela is an award-winning novelist whose work has received critical recognition for its distinctive exploration of identity, migration and Islamic spirituality. Her novels have been translated into fifteen languages and include Bird Summons, Minaret, The Translator (a New York Times 100 Notable Books of the Year), The Kindness of Enemies and Lyrics Alley (Fiction Winner of the Scottish Book Awards). Aboulela was the first winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing and her short story collection, Elsewhere, Home won the Saltire Fiction Book of the Year Award. Aboulela grew up in Sudan and in her mid-twenties moved to Scotland where she now resides.

128 pages, Paperback

Published April 9, 2025

About the author

Leila Aboulela grew up in Khartoum, Sudan where she attended the Khartoum American School and Sister School. She graduated from Khartoum University in 1985 with a degree in Economics and was awarded her Masters degree in statistics from the London School of Economics. She lived for many years in Aberdeen where she wrote most of her works while looking after her family; she currently lives and lectures in Abu Dhabi.

She was awarded the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2000 for her short story The Museum and her novel The Translator was nominated for the Orange Prize in 2002, and was chosen as a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times in 2006.

Reviews

[Mady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suad just lost her husband, Sherif, who was 73. And now for the first time she is alone. But her children come first. She starts by helping her younger son get back on track with his studies, then her middle daughter who is about to become a mother and eventually she moves in with her older son. However, that’s not her house and her grandchildren are not her children, so conflicts arise until Suad feels that she’s no longer welcome. She then needs to find own path to living alone for the first time.

This was an easy read, but the plot had layers that could have been more developed. Since this was published to encourage reading or return to reading habits, I guess this hits its purpose. But I wanted a bit more, even if this is in effect a novella.

[Erica⭐ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about family, ageing, fresh starts and the beautiful things that happen when we least expect them to. Suad misses her husband. He died unexpectedly at work, and she never got to say goodbye. But Suad knows she is lucky. Her three children have promised to look after her. After several false starts, Suad receives a warm welcome from her oldest son and settles down with his family in the countryside.

Everything goes smoothly – at first. Her grandchildren love her crunchy, homemade falafel and watching TV together. But as time goes on, things between Suad and her daughter-in-law grow tense. Soon, her daughter-in-law stops giving her lifts into town. She accuses Suad of interfering with how she raises her children. Then she won’t talk to Suad. Finally, she asks her to leave the house. For the first time, Suad is on her own.

Determined to make the best of it, Suad makes a new life for herself. How can she budget for just one person? How can she fill the long hours? And will her new neighbours warm to her?

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book, you recognise the profound truth of what Leo Tolstoy meant when when he said "All happy families are alike". Saud's family migrated to the United Kingdom from Sudan 40 years ago. Her children were brought up with traditional Muslim values, and each left home to make a life for themselves. After the sudden death of her husband, she finds herself at a loose end and tries to live with each of her children before finally realising that home is where she is in charge.
Though they are not at all similar, in Saud I saw traces of my own mother. Of a strong woman who tries to adjust to the lifestyle of her children, but cannot stop her desire for things to be done 'her way'. The inevitable conflicts that arise when both parties grit their teeth and attempt to ignore the irritants till it reaches breaking point.
It is not that there is lack of love, the book reassures us. It is just that it is hard for people to adjust to living together when they have been having their own independent lives. I picked up this book because I didn't want to commit to a full length novel by a new (to me) author- I am glad there are many more books left for me to explore.

[Oana Crâmpeie de suflet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A New Year este un roman pe cât de mic ca lungime, pe atât de complex și de profund. Leila Aboulela tratează cu delicatețe și gingășie subiecte sensibile precum pierderea cuiva drag, doliul, îmbătrânirea, când totul în jur se schimbă și pare că nu mai găsești pe nimeni să îți înțeleagă punctul de vedere, discrepanțele de opinie și de mod de acționare care apar între generații, conflictele dintre părinți și copii și multe altele. Este o carte extrem de ofertantă din toate punctele de vedere.

În plus, A New Year este un roman al speranței renăscute, a forței care vine din interior, a luminii care te face să strălucești indiferent de vârstă, pentru că o poți lua de la capăt indiferent de momentul vieții în care te afli. Trebuie doar să îți dorești, să vrei asta cu ardoare, să aduci la suprafață toate visele puse în așteptare pentru a te îngriji de toți cei din jurul tău. Este o poveste tare luminoasă, cu multe lecții de învățat despre răbdare, înțelepciune, oferire de spațiu personal și de înțelegere a faptului că suntem diferiți și avem dreptul să fim astfel.

Stilul autoarei este unul fluid, cald, care reușește să emoționeze. Am spus mereu că e o artă să transmiți atât de multe folosindu-te de atât de puține cuvinte, iar Leila Aboulela o stăpânește din plin. A reușit să creeze o poveste care te ține acolo, legată de personajele sale, de narațiune, lăsându-te la final cu multe gânduri de analizat și față în față cu propriile vulnerabilități și sensibilități. Iar dincolo de toate acestea ne învață că, uneori, nu ar strica să fim mai toleranți, să înțelegem că a fi diferit nu e neapărat ceva rău, ci că acest fapt poate aduce lumină în viețile celor din jur. Tratează și teme religioase, pentru că personajul central este musulmană practicantă și își găsește refugiul în rugăciune, însă nu este un aspect care să deranjeze. La fel, avem tratată tema migrației și a încercării să ascezi pe scara socială într-o țară cu totul nouă, unde te-ai refugiat fugind din calea războiului și a opresiunii, căci Suad și soțul său au venit în UK tocmai din Sudan. Iar ceea ce reușește autoarea să redea este întreaga atmosferă a Londrei și a Angliei, extrem de toleranță și de bună vizavi de tot ceea ce înseamnă imigrant și străin.
https://crampeiedesufletblog.wordpres...

[The Cookster · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 2.3/5

"A New Year" is part of the 2025 Quick Reads programme from The Reading Agency. The scheme is primarily intended to attract new readers or to tempt lapsed readers back into the fold, but you don't need to fall into either of those categories. Personally, I am a very much a supporter and always try to read all of the books they publish each year.

That point aside, I also have great admiration for any writer who can successfully tackle the short story format. There is a real skill in constructing a rounded story, with fleshed-out characters in the space of a hundred or so pages. Author, Leila Aboulele, does a reasonable job of delivering on this requirement, but I am afraid that the actual story didn't grip me as much as I would have hoped and the writing style was a touch staid for my personal taste.

It was certainly interesting to to read a story written from the perspective of a Muslim female, though perhaps the reader needs to be more closely equated to the culture in question to fully appreciate the content. That said, the writer raises issues around dealing with grief as well as the potential for grating interaction caused by generational differences, which may well strike a chord with readers from a multitude of backgrounds.

[Serene In Wonderland · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending made me tear. Such a lovely Quick Read by Leila Aboulela. As usual she writes about everyday experiences that are almost mundane except... they are just beautiful in such a 'human' way. You end up loving and caring for Suad, even when she gets it wrong. And the seamless way Islam is part of her characters' lives and very Being is so refreshing.

CONTENT:
No language or explicit content. If my 8 year old picked this up and read it because it was short, the only concern of mine would be a mention of a potential 'girlfriend' for her son.

[Onome Emasoga · Rating 4 out of 5]

A New Year by Leila Aboulela centres on Suad, a septuagenarian navigating a path to independence after the sudden loss of her husband.

The story explores themes of grief, widowhood, faith, family bonds, and love, while also emphasising the importance of respecting personal decisions, regardless of how well-intentioned external opinions may be.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

World Book Night 2025.

An interesting concept but so true. How many children have an interfering mother?
A good contrast on how a mother has to reinvent her life without children to form a new future.

[Mia Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5) these short books are so refreshing to read, a simple storyline with nice character development and messages

[Emma Brooks]

Was a good read

[N E E K S · Rating 3 out of 5]

An insightful, nicely paced short story that explores grief, decline, family dynamics and reclaiming your life. Would make a nice short film.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️
The book was good by my standards for a short story and how it covered a number of social and religious attitudes.

[Amy Donnelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me, felt like a child had wrote it.
Read it in a couple of hours, so no time wasted

[Kehinde Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like how this sweet book is my 24th book, so relaxing and calm.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful tale of ageing and renewal

[Sophia Aouichaoui · Rating 3 out of 5]

In regards to characters the main character,Suad, I did not warm to at all! Perhaps 10 pages before the end I started to thaw slightly but I just did not like her!

[Ifeoluwa B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Suad’s husband dies suddenly, she first relies on her children to fill the absence, but she soon realises that she must come to terms with her new reality and build a new life for herself.

[Scarlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely writing, really wish the ending was longer though. I enjoyed all the characters except Suad's youngest child and middle child.

[Frez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Refreshing read - gets you out a reading rut as can be read in a couple of hours