Goodbye, My Love

by Yumna Kassab

‘that wildly inventive scriptomaniac’— The Guardian , Australian books to look forward to in 2026When she finally left, like properly totally completely left,it shouldn’t have come as a surprise.The signs were there.Amina's marriage to Amin was supposed to be a new beginning, instead, it became an inescapable end. Even after the divorce, the shadow of their relationship clings to her, defining her life long after they part.

Set within the intricate world of an Arab community, the story of these once-lovers explores the devastating impact of a failed marriage from its heady beginning to its bitter end. From the outset, it's clear this is a story of departure, yet Amina's physical leaving is only the very first step.

Like Lot's wife, forbidden to look back at her razed city, Amina is meant to move forward, but how can she when the past is burned into her soul?


PRAISE FOR THE LOVERS :

SHORTLISTED FOR THE MILES FRANKLIN LITERARY AWARD
 ‘her writing is poetic and reverential. The author’s understanding of love, romance and of responsibility runs deep.’ –Books + Publishing ‘Sometimes, Kassab shows us, love can be another word for cruelty. Sometimes the stories we hide behind reveal our deepest truths.’  –Sydney Morning Herald

‘Beautifully told in Yumna Kassab's poetic prose, The Lovers is both the story of the tumultuous relationship between Amir and Jamila and an exploration of class, culture and the complex nature of love.’  –Sunday Life

‘The delicate power that fables hold – their universality, while retaining their specificity – is captured in The Lovers. Ultimately, Kassab’s novel rests on the premise of the “impossibility of language, of being able to ever understand someone else”.’  –ArtsHub

‘a raw, haunting and honest look at love, relationships, and the moments that break us.’  –Mamamia

183 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 28, 2026

About the author

Yumna Kassab was born and raised in Western Sydney. She completed most of her schooling in Parramatta, except for two formative years when she lived in Lebanon with her family. She went on to study medical science at Macquarie University and neuroscience at Sydney University. She currently teaches in regional New South Wales.

Reviews

[ValTheBookEater]

review pending published review

[Ceyrone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yumna Kassab’s Goodbye, My Love is a devastatingly honest and poetic exploration of the collapse of a marriage, masterfully utilizing vignettes and sparse, lyrical fragments to track the painful aftermath of a woman’s departure from a controlling relationship. Set within an intricate Arab community, the novel follows Amina as she physically walks away from her husband, Amin, only to find that her identity—symbolized by her very name, which is an echo of his—remains deeply entangled with the ghost of her past. The vital takeaway of Goodbye, My Love is that physical separation is only the first step toward freedom, as true agency requires the painful, internal work of untangling oneself from the expectations of others and reclaiming a selfhood independent of past trauma.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a powerful concept, and beautifully executed, with such a great balance between the exploration of the emotions involved in this book, as well as the literary style of the writing. The complexities of a relationship such as this were so well explored, and I appreciated that the relationship was fully explored as well as the process of leaving it. Probably my favourite work from Yumna Kassab so far!

[Penne Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Amina has the sense of a squandered life.” Goodbye, my love by Yumna Kassab is a masterclass in beautiful poetic writing about a marriage breaking down, how it got there and the long lasting after effects. A very ambitious, emotional, intelligent & captivating book about love & loss of love and how a relationship can mould you from the alter to the grave. I understand the praise for this talented author after reading this exquisite book & feeling the depths of its soul. 5 ⭐️

[The Owner of the house]

Yumna Kassab has shown that she is a very skilled and prolific writer. That's why, also, she has been chosen to be the inaugural laureate of Parramatta in Literature.

Looking forward to read her new book!

[Croatian Lullaby]

I'm really looking forward to read Kassab's new book. I'm pretty sure this new book of hers is going to be incredible as the previous ones.

-The House of Youssef.✅️
- Australiana✅️
- The Lovers ✅️
- Politica ✅️
- The Theory of Everything ✅️

All of them are great!

[Ashley Cook]

I'm looking forward to read this new book of Yumna Kassab as I really liked the previous books of her, and I strongly recommend to anyone to read them: she is very creative and talented.