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Fencing with the King
A mesmerizing breakthrough novel of family myths and inheritances by the award-winning author of Crescent.
Amani is hooked on a mystery—a poem on airmail paper that slips out of one of her father's books. It seems to have been written by her grandmother, a refugee who arrived in Jordan during the First World War. Soon the perfect occasion to investigate arises: her Uncle Hafez, an advisor to the King of Jordan, invites her father to celebrate the king's sixtieth birthday—and to fence with the king, as in their youth. Her father has avoided returning to his homeland for decades, but Amani persuades him to come with her. Uncle Hafez will make their time in Jordan complicated—and dangerous—after Amani discovers a missing relative and is launched into a journey of loss, history, and, eventually, a fight for her own life.
Fencing with the King masterfully draws on King Lear and Arthurian fable to explore the power of inheritance, the trauma of displacement, and whether we can release the past to build a future.
Amani is hooked on a mystery—a poem on airmail paper that slips out of one of her father's books. It seems to have been written by her grandmother, a refugee who arrived in Jordan during the First World War. Soon the perfect occasion to investigate arises: her Uncle Hafez, an advisor to the King of Jordan, invites her father to celebrate the king's sixtieth birthday—and to fence with the king, as in their youth. Her father has avoided returning to his homeland for decades, but Amani persuades him to come with her. Uncle Hafez will make their time in Jordan complicated—and dangerous—after Amani discovers a missing relative and is launched into a journey of loss, history, and, eventually, a fight for her own life.
Fencing with the King masterfully draws on King Lear and Arthurian fable to explore the power of inheritance, the trauma of displacement, and whether we can release the past to build a future.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2022
110 people are currently reading
7204 people want to read
About the author
Diana Abu-Jaber
14 books424 followersDiana Abu-Jaber is the award-winning author of Life Without A Recipe, Origin, Crescent, Arabian Jazz, and The Language of Baklava. Her writing has appeared in Good Housekeeping, Ms., Salon, Vogue, Gourmet, the New York Times, The Nation, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. She divides her time between Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
July 7, 2022
A shadowy novel of corruption, greed, deception, and self discovery amidst a royal birthday celebration. Immersive and in depth on the political and cultural nuances of Jordan over the last few decades, the most compelling aspect of this story is the parallel between Amani and Natalia. The struggles of identity, trauma, displacement, and familial ties was moving and heart stirring. A very interesting family drama.
June 8, 2022
This was a little hard to read in the beginning. Lots of political stuff about Jordan which I've never known much about except for hearing it on the news. Was very interesting learning this. The story was good, especially the part about the niece, Amani. She was a wonderful character so full of life and wanted to know more about her family history and she had a hard time getting this out of her uncles and father but in the end, she figured out a lot of it by herself. My book club is discussing this book on Sunday and will be interested to hear what everyone thinkgs. I did not really like the fencing part of the book but the rest was very good.
dnf
March 23, 2022Couldn't get into this one. Too many character perspectives and the timeline jumping around made the early pages I read feel convoluted.
March 29, 2022
Diana’s newly released novel was a fast read for me. I was invited to a book club, where we all got a chance to meet the wonderful author, and learned that this particular story is based on her experiences re-visiting Jordan, and figure out her bearings. There are so many complex characters which deal with feminist thinking in middle eastern regions, mental health, and stigmatization of those who suffer from it.
It’s a beautiful novel, especially if you want to learn more about representations of Arab Americans that are too few and far between!
It’s a beautiful novel, especially if you want to learn more about representations of Arab Americans that are too few and far between!
November 25, 2022
I saw the gorgeous cover of Fencing with the King by Diana Abu-Jaber and adding to that the fact that the synopsis mentioned a mystery and I knew I wanted to read it. I love books that talk about family history and other cultures, and even though I don't know a single thing about fencing, that aspect interested me as well. I really appreciated the author's note at the front of the book and even though these characters are made up, Abu-Jaber did draw inspiration from her own background/family which I loved. The story ends up being told through different characters' viewpoints as well as dual timelines, and to a certain extent, this worked for me. I love a good dual timeline and I am always a fan of multiple POVs, but this book did get confusing that way at times and I had a really hard time keeping everything and everyone straight.
The audiobook is a dream and narrated by Rasha Zamamiri who did a wonderful job. She gave a very authentic feel to the story, and I could have listened to her all day. If you do decide to listen to the audio, I highly recommend having a copy of the physical book on hand as well and following along if possible. That could help a lot with the large number of different characters and viewpoints and make it easier to follow the story in general. For the title talking about fencing, I found there to be very little about this in the actual book which was a bit disappointing. It does get talked about but not as much as I had hoped, and Fencing with the King is much more about Amani and her family than it is about her father fencing with the king. Overall, this wasn't really what I was expecting and felt a little too all over the place/confusing for me to truly love it, but I would definitely read Abu-Jaber again and will be recommending this to the readers I think it would be a good fit for.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The audiobook is a dream and narrated by Rasha Zamamiri who did a wonderful job. She gave a very authentic feel to the story, and I could have listened to her all day. If you do decide to listen to the audio, I highly recommend having a copy of the physical book on hand as well and following along if possible. That could help a lot with the large number of different characters and viewpoints and make it easier to follow the story in general. For the title talking about fencing, I found there to be very little about this in the actual book which was a bit disappointing. It does get talked about but not as much as I had hoped, and Fencing with the King is much more about Amani and her family than it is about her father fencing with the king. Overall, this wasn't really what I was expecting and felt a little too all over the place/confusing for me to truly love it, but I would definitely read Abu-Jaber again and will be recommending this to the readers I think it would be a good fit for.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
April 11, 2022
This novel provides an interesting view of life in Jordan at the time of the reign of King Hussein and Queen Noor. We follow an American young woman and her Jordanian father (who has lived in the US for over 30 years) as they return to Jordan to visit family and participate in a fencing event which is part of the King’s 60th birthday celebration. The Jordanian family contains greedy politicians, a real estate mogul and a missing person. The descriptions of Jordan were nice, and generally the novel was ok, but I felt the characters were not deeply drawn and the “mystery” was pretty apparent very early in the novel.
December 9, 2021
As a poet tries to find her place in the world, we are presented with an interesting look at home, family, and the way cultures collide in the Middle East. The story begins a bit slowly, but picks up speed, as the plot thickens. I think I read the second half of the book in about half the time it took to read the first part.
November 29, 2021
I really enjoyed this book about the complexities of life in Jordan, homecoming, and family. the characters are beautifully drawn and imbued with reality, and the gentle teasing out of family history is elegant but believable. Through the use of a large cast, the author makes it possible to share information about things like gender, parenting, work, and behavior in ways that aren't condescending to readers. I'd love to read this with a group of really smart people, or teach it to a class. (Fencers considering reading this: Even most of the fencing terminology is right!)
December 4, 2021
2.5 I have enjoyed some of of Diana Abu-Jabar's other novels but this one is terribly disappointing. She tosses out lots of modern Jordanian and Middle East political info but much of it is lost on the reader. The "mystery" is about as obvious as it can get. The only truly interesting storyline is the conflict between the two brothers and it never really comes to a satisfying conclusion. I suppose the main character is Amani (a struggling poet) yet she is completely underdeveloped and I felt I did not know her any better at novel's end than I did at the start. To avoid a spoiler, I will just say that the romance element in the book felt childish and unrealistic. And don't think you are going to learn much about the ancient art of fencing.
March 14, 2022
This is a beautiful story that transports the reader to Jordan. Amani is a poet who travels from the US with her Jordanian father back to his home country. While there, Amani learns about her family’s struggles during many of the Palestinian conflicts from the previous decades and discovers long buried secrets surrounding her family.
I enjoyed learning more about Palestinian refugees and the sacrifices that were made to protect their heritage and culture. I really enjoyed Amani’s character and her strong will to investigate a family mystery. There were some moments that were really emotional that will stay with me.
Thank you to #tlcbooktours & #netgalley for this audiobook alc.
I enjoyed learning more about Palestinian refugees and the sacrifices that were made to protect their heritage and culture. I really enjoyed Amani’s character and her strong will to investigate a family mystery. There were some moments that were really emotional that will stay with me.
Thank you to #tlcbooktours & #netgalley for this audiobook alc.
September 28, 2022
3.5 stars for this one, rounded up.
This is a novel about the larger effects of displacement in the Middle East. The main character, an American, discovers some writing from her grandmother in Jordan. She and her father return to that country after years away, and they discover that the pain of stolen land and interrupted cultural traditions sit in the middle of an ongoing family conflict.
There are some ideas in this book that are really compelling (e.g. what is the role of forgetting in the making of peace?). But I did find that it took a full 100 pages for me to really engage with this story.
September 29, 2025
I feel like the title should have centered on something else, because the actual 'fencing with the king' served as more of a background plot device for the main character's journey.
Be aware it's a very slow-paced read. I got intrigued around page 250 when someone gets stranded in the desert. The story slowed back down again after that crisis was resolved.
I don't feel like the ending was complete enough for my satisfaction. There were loose ends left and other than few significant particulars, everyone more or less reverts to a similar pattern as they were in the beginning of the book. I wanted more character development from some of the side characters.
I really enjoy the author's writing style. I think she is so talented with words and creating an evocative imagery. If we could take her wordage and combine it with an exhilarating plot, I think it would be masterpiece of a book.
Be aware it's a very slow-paced read. I got intrigued around page 250 when someone gets stranded in the desert. The story slowed back down again after that crisis was resolved.
I don't feel like the ending was complete enough for my satisfaction. There were loose ends left and other than few significant particulars, everyone more or less reverts to a similar pattern as they were in the beginning of the book. I wanted more character development from some of the side characters.
I really enjoy the author's writing style. I think she is so talented with words and creating an evocative imagery. If we could take her wordage and combine it with an exhilarating plot, I think it would be masterpiece of a book.
December 12, 2021
Amani is a Jordanian-American woman who feels the pull to visit the country of her ancestors. When her father, Gabe, is invited to return to Jordan to fence with the king at his 60th birthday celebration, his daughter decides to tag along. She is recently divorced, a prize-winning poet who hasn't written in years, and a college professor without much drive to teach. She has also just found, in one of her father's books, a piece of her grandmother's writing which is clearly the work of a sharp and insightful, if disturbed, mind. Amani never met her grandmother, who is long dead, and this writing whets her curiosity about her, the country she fled, and the Jordan which cradled her and where she bore her sons.
There is also the curious case of Musa, Gabe's cousin who may or may not still be alive somewhere in Jordan or the surrounding desert. Thought by many in the family to be long dead, Amani has an inkling this might not be the case and that there may be considerably more to his story. What she knows of him is that he was a gentle, intellectually limited man with a unique perspective on the world. She sets out to find him, if she can, in the brief time she and her father have determined to be in the country.
Gabe was invited to Jordan at the behest of his older brother, Hafez. Gabe is the youngest and their middle brother, Faroqu, is a wealthy merchant and their host at his lavish estate. Faroqu's son, Omar, becomes Amani's co-conspirator, guide, and interpreter.
At the beginning, this novel is a bit confusing; a family tree would have been helpful to keep everyone straight, though it only takes 30 or 40 pages for the relationships to become clear. I was also a bit uncertain about what Amani's motives might be in coming to Jordan and feared early on that this vagueness would permeate the book. I need not have worried. Diana Abu-Jaber, it turns out, is a masterful guide and her characters' uncertainty is deliberate and in service of an emotionally complex, carefully constructed story of one woman's movement toward reconciliation with herself as a woman and writer. She understands the stakes, acknowledging that "she'd begun to lose faith. It seemed as if it wasn't worth so much to write fearlessly if you didn't know what to fear. In fact, she'd started to think maybe it was more courageous just to be afraid."
While on her personal journey, Amani simultaneously works to resolve her family's mysteries and the clotted, intertwined relationships they have inhabited as they grew into middle age and beyond. But the journey will not be easy. As Gabe reflects early on, "the longer you're away, the bigger and more elusive the past becomes; a beautiful monster." The final 100 pages or so are particularly moving and perceptive.
One curious aspect of Fencing with the King is a strain of elitism displayed by the characters and, it seems, the author. These privileged people think nothing of obtruding into the lives of their servants and others who might be considered lower class. At one point, Amani and her cousin rummage through the possessions of a servant, seemingly without any compunction. I might have written this off as a cultural anomaly, but they are clearly worried about being caught doing something wrong, while at the same time they have no concern about the violation they are committing, nor does the author comment on it, leading me to believe that, while it might be thought of as naughty, this intrusion is acceptable on some level. This is only the most egregious example of the assertion of privilege on the part of the comparatively wealthy in this story. Until quite late in the book, servants are dismissed as less than fully human and those who don't live Westernized lives are casually marginalized.
Despite this blind spot, I ended up thinking this quite an excellent, insightful, finely-crafted work of self-discovery and growth. I look forward to reading more of this author's work in the future.
There is also the curious case of Musa, Gabe's cousin who may or may not still be alive somewhere in Jordan or the surrounding desert. Thought by many in the family to be long dead, Amani has an inkling this might not be the case and that there may be considerably more to his story. What she knows of him is that he was a gentle, intellectually limited man with a unique perspective on the world. She sets out to find him, if she can, in the brief time she and her father have determined to be in the country.
Gabe was invited to Jordan at the behest of his older brother, Hafez. Gabe is the youngest and their middle brother, Faroqu, is a wealthy merchant and their host at his lavish estate. Faroqu's son, Omar, becomes Amani's co-conspirator, guide, and interpreter.
At the beginning, this novel is a bit confusing; a family tree would have been helpful to keep everyone straight, though it only takes 30 or 40 pages for the relationships to become clear. I was also a bit uncertain about what Amani's motives might be in coming to Jordan and feared early on that this vagueness would permeate the book. I need not have worried. Diana Abu-Jaber, it turns out, is a masterful guide and her characters' uncertainty is deliberate and in service of an emotionally complex, carefully constructed story of one woman's movement toward reconciliation with herself as a woman and writer. She understands the stakes, acknowledging that "she'd begun to lose faith. It seemed as if it wasn't worth so much to write fearlessly if you didn't know what to fear. In fact, she'd started to think maybe it was more courageous just to be afraid."
While on her personal journey, Amani simultaneously works to resolve her family's mysteries and the clotted, intertwined relationships they have inhabited as they grew into middle age and beyond. But the journey will not be easy. As Gabe reflects early on, "the longer you're away, the bigger and more elusive the past becomes; a beautiful monster." The final 100 pages or so are particularly moving and perceptive.
One curious aspect of Fencing with the King is a strain of elitism displayed by the characters and, it seems, the author. These privileged people think nothing of obtruding into the lives of their servants and others who might be considered lower class. At one point, Amani and her cousin rummage through the possessions of a servant, seemingly without any compunction. I might have written this off as a cultural anomaly, but they are clearly worried about being caught doing something wrong, while at the same time they have no concern about the violation they are committing, nor does the author comment on it, leading me to believe that, while it might be thought of as naughty, this intrusion is acceptable on some level. This is only the most egregious example of the assertion of privilege on the part of the comparatively wealthy in this story. Until quite late in the book, servants are dismissed as less than fully human and those who don't live Westernized lives are casually marginalized.
Despite this blind spot, I ended up thinking this quite an excellent, insightful, finely-crafted work of self-discovery and growth. I look forward to reading more of this author's work in the future.
December 16, 2021
Thank you to this book and its brilliant author for transporting me out of my boring, pandemic seclusion. I didn’t expect to get so caught up in an American poet’s quest to find answers to old family mysteries and issues of identity and belonging in a tale set in 1995s Jordan, but I was hooked from beginning to end. If, as Rebecca Solnit wrote, (quoting loosely) the point of reading is to transcend your gender/ race/ class/ nationality/ moment in history/ age/ ability/ to experience being the other, Abu-Jaber has done her job beautifully.
The writing is skilled, intimate, and evocative, and book clubs will enjoy discussing the power of family ties, religion, materialistic versus transcendent goals, and more...Immensely Powerful.
The writing is skilled, intimate, and evocative, and book clubs will enjoy discussing the power of family ties, religion, materialistic versus transcendent goals, and more...Immensely Powerful.
March 30, 2022
I remember loving Crescent by the author, and I've also read Arabian Jazz and The Language of Baklava, and in each book, and even more so in her newest, Fencing with the King, she braids her Palestinian-American roots into the story, however fictionalized, and it is rich fodder. The main character is Amani, a poet who hasn't been able to write, a professor whose job has become tenuous, newly divorced, and living again with her parents in Syracuse, New York, when her father receives an invitation from the King of Jordan, to put on a fencing demonstration during celebrations for the King's 60th birthday; as boys/young men, they'd been fencing partners, as apparently the author's father had actually been. Amani is especially interested to go when she finds a fragment of poetry written by her long-dead Palestinian grandmother Natalia, whom her father rarely talks about. The novel, set in 1995, post Oslo Accords, peace talks, etc., mostly unfolds in Jordan, as Gabe, returning for the first time in decades, and Amani there for the first time, meet family, including Hafez, Gabe's older brother and Amani's favorite uncle, who is erudite, powerful, Yale-educated, and the King's right-hand man. As Amani goes sleuthing to discover who Natalia was, the family's history is revealed. There is a fine line between realism and fable, and fable that is overwrought, and that line was sometimes crossed here, the showdown I expected veers instead into romance and potential love for Amani who is finding herself again, or finding the self she's not been before. Still, an interesting book, with poetic descriptions and insights into the Middle East during that time, and I enjoyed being in and learning about Jordan.
April 26, 2022
The writing was nice and I enjoyed the descriptions of Jordanian landscapes and customs, but ultimately I just had a hard time connecting with the characters and story.
Amani was born and raised in the United States to a Jordanian father and Sicilian mother. After nearly 40 years without visiting home, her father Gabe gets an invitation from his brother Hafez to travel to Jordan and have a fencing match with the king as part of the monarch's 60th birthday celebration. Amani and her father take the trip together, and Amani seeks to use this time to discover more about their family history.
But Amani seemed to have little interest in actually getting to know her family due to her fixation on a poem she found that her late grandmother had written. She constantly brushes off her family's invitations to spend time together and disregards their attempts to get to know each other. Gabe, her father, had a lot of potential to be a fascinating character but wasn't developed deeply. He has a history as a fencing master, and he is in Jordan to compete against the king, who he knew and trained with at a young age - but we barely get to know this back story. He too draws away from his family but we don't go deeply into that feud's roots, either. It almost felt like he and Amani (and a number of the other characters too) simply disliked the customs and culture of Jordan, though I know that the intention was to show their distance from the family specifically rather than from the country more broadly.
I'm sure there will be plenty of people who connect with this book, it just wasn't the right fit for me I think.
Amani was born and raised in the United States to a Jordanian father and Sicilian mother. After nearly 40 years without visiting home, her father Gabe gets an invitation from his brother Hafez to travel to Jordan and have a fencing match with the king as part of the monarch's 60th birthday celebration. Amani and her father take the trip together, and Amani seeks to use this time to discover more about their family history.
But Amani seemed to have little interest in actually getting to know her family due to her fixation on a poem she found that her late grandmother had written. She constantly brushes off her family's invitations to spend time together and disregards their attempts to get to know each other. Gabe, her father, had a lot of potential to be a fascinating character but wasn't developed deeply. He has a history as a fencing master, and he is in Jordan to compete against the king, who he knew and trained with at a young age - but we barely get to know this back story. He too draws away from his family but we don't go deeply into that feud's roots, either. It almost felt like he and Amani (and a number of the other characters too) simply disliked the customs and culture of Jordan, though I know that the intention was to show their distance from the family specifically rather than from the country more broadly.
I'm sure there will be plenty of people who connect with this book, it just wasn't the right fit for me I think.
July 28, 2022
Engaging story of past and present. Could not put this book down, the characters were multifaceted and the stories were intricately woven together.
April 16, 2024
This was a really entertaining read, but also thought-provoking, which can be a hard combination to find. It also surprised me and went places I didn't expect. A recent divorcee, Amani, is living back at home with her parents when her father is invited back to his native Jordan to fence with the King, as he did in his youth. Amani would love to connect with her Arab roots, which are Jordanian and Palestinian, and jumps at the chance to go back with him. Along the way, she learns more about her shadowy grandmother, who died before she was born, and helps uncover a big family secret. The characters are well-drawn and compelling.
November 14, 2025
I loved the themes of this novel.
The main theme most people can relate to when it comes to family conflict.
The main theme most people can relate to when it comes to family conflict.
March 11, 2022
Diana Abu-Jaber’s author note at the beginning of Fencing with the King creates immediate interest and gives a personal context to the socio-political nature of the story that follows. Even though it bounces around between perspectives, times, and places, the transitions are for the most part smooth and logical, feeling more like an omniscient narrator than a constructed artifice.
The plot line is engaging, but it is the characters who shine. Family relationships are masterfully, gradually uncovered, and we become more and more vested as the story unfolds. A reader can feel the opportunity for a sequel, and I, for one, will be happy to see it.
Thank you to Diana Abu-Jaber, W.W. Norton & Co, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review
The plot line is engaging, but it is the characters who shine. Family relationships are masterfully, gradually uncovered, and we become more and more vested as the story unfolds. A reader can feel the opportunity for a sequel, and I, for one, will be happy to see it.
Thank you to Diana Abu-Jaber, W.W. Norton & Co, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review
October 26, 2022
I went into this book a little hesitatingly after a BookTuber or two didn’t like it so much. I think it took awhile to warm up, and I had a liiiiittle trouble staying invested at first, but ultimately things came together! I liked it!
We are following members of the Hamdan family on the advent of the King of Jordan’s 60th birthday in 1995. Presumably, Abu-Jaber chose this year for a couple of key reasons: King Hussein I of Jordan indeed turned 60 in 1995, and it was also an auspicious time, a time perhaps of change in the country and the broader region. 1995 was at the tail end of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO, with Jordan playing a key role (the Israel-Jordan peace treaty also came to fruition a year earlier.)
So the King is a having a month long event of festivities, with his advisor, Hafez, playing deeply to past glory and future reconciliation. Threaded into this is the fact that Hafez’s brother, Gabe, emigrated to the United States these past few decades, used to fence with the King, so Hafez invited him back to do a demo. Hafez also wanted to lure in his niece, Amani, a poet and university professor living in Syracuse, NY, so that maybe she could enhance Jordan’s literary scene.
Under the surface are more complicated doings. Hafez’s mother and Amani’s grandmother, Natalia, was a Palestinian refugee; one relative seeks to hide her origins and the other seeks to learn more about them. Agendas ultimately clash in a storyline having to do with secret relatives and land rights. It’s not quite explosive at the end, but Abu-Jaber develops her characters, their motivations and some plot points enough that it can keep you riveted by the climax.
I appreciated the slipperiness with which Abu-Jaber unfurled Hafez, though Amani was a little disappointing to me as a co-protagonist. She was a bit of a cipher; mostly a battery to be filled up with secrets. Natalia’s trauma, and how it impacted her family, was more prescient.
This makes me think I should also read more about Jordan and its history. There’s a lot of intriguing pieces in here, particularly about the relationships between cultural groups like Palestinians and the Bedouin and then…other Jordanians? Both the Palestinians and the Bedouin remain at a bit of the outskirts of society—the Bedouin because of their desert lifestyle, and the Palestinians who were still in a very transitory state, living in camps and the like. My understanding is that there hasn’t been a lot of integration of Palestinian refugees into Jordanian society, although historically the groups are very linked. Is it so unusual that a family like the Hamdans have strains both from Palestine and from Jordan? The Palestinian and Jordanian flags are very similar, and both nations are wrapped up in the shifting land politics that came from the world wars and the ends of the Ottoman and British empires. A reminder, perhaps, of how human migratory groups are different than the lines on a map.
In terms of Jewish content, there’s a nod to the Holocaust being central to Israel’s creation, and then there’s the character of Eduardo, whose romance with Amani was a little shruggy. Eduardo has some Sephardi background, but I’d disagree with the reviewers who are leaning heavily into describing him as a semi-Jewish character, even if it’s halachically accurate. Eduardo seems to have no religious or cultural ties to Judaism, and is mostly defined, by prejudicial others, as being part of “the Jewish race,” in meaning if not in verbiage.
It's a subtle novel, in it’s way, with only slight nods to Jordan’s political and cultural makeup of the time, as well as how the Hamdan brothers in particular contextualize their identities. Some of Abu-Jaber’s physical writing is lush, which I remember from my college days and her descriptions of food in her novel, CRESCENT. That was my major impetus for picking up her most recent work. It didn’t wow me as much as I hoped it would, but I’m glad I stayed with it. For the literary fiction-minded, I think there’s something to glean here.
We are following members of the Hamdan family on the advent of the King of Jordan’s 60th birthday in 1995. Presumably, Abu-Jaber chose this year for a couple of key reasons: King Hussein I of Jordan indeed turned 60 in 1995, and it was also an auspicious time, a time perhaps of change in the country and the broader region. 1995 was at the tail end of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO, with Jordan playing a key role (the Israel-Jordan peace treaty also came to fruition a year earlier.)
So the King is a having a month long event of festivities, with his advisor, Hafez, playing deeply to past glory and future reconciliation. Threaded into this is the fact that Hafez’s brother, Gabe, emigrated to the United States these past few decades, used to fence with the King, so Hafez invited him back to do a demo. Hafez also wanted to lure in his niece, Amani, a poet and university professor living in Syracuse, NY, so that maybe she could enhance Jordan’s literary scene.
Under the surface are more complicated doings. Hafez’s mother and Amani’s grandmother, Natalia, was a Palestinian refugee; one relative seeks to hide her origins and the other seeks to learn more about them. Agendas ultimately clash in a storyline having to do with secret relatives and land rights. It’s not quite explosive at the end, but Abu-Jaber develops her characters, their motivations and some plot points enough that it can keep you riveted by the climax.
I appreciated the slipperiness with which Abu-Jaber unfurled Hafez, though Amani was a little disappointing to me as a co-protagonist. She was a bit of a cipher; mostly a battery to be filled up with secrets. Natalia’s trauma, and how it impacted her family, was more prescient.
This makes me think I should also read more about Jordan and its history. There’s a lot of intriguing pieces in here, particularly about the relationships between cultural groups like Palestinians and the Bedouin and then…other Jordanians? Both the Palestinians and the Bedouin remain at a bit of the outskirts of society—the Bedouin because of their desert lifestyle, and the Palestinians who were still in a very transitory state, living in camps and the like. My understanding is that there hasn’t been a lot of integration of Palestinian refugees into Jordanian society, although historically the groups are very linked. Is it so unusual that a family like the Hamdans have strains both from Palestine and from Jordan? The Palestinian and Jordanian flags are very similar, and both nations are wrapped up in the shifting land politics that came from the world wars and the ends of the Ottoman and British empires. A reminder, perhaps, of how human migratory groups are different than the lines on a map.
In terms of Jewish content, there’s a nod to the Holocaust being central to Israel’s creation, and then there’s the character of Eduardo, whose romance with Amani was a little shruggy. Eduardo has some Sephardi background, but I’d disagree with the reviewers who are leaning heavily into describing him as a semi-Jewish character, even if it’s halachically accurate. Eduardo seems to have no religious or cultural ties to Judaism, and is mostly defined, by prejudicial others, as being part of “the Jewish race,” in meaning if not in verbiage.
It's a subtle novel, in it’s way, with only slight nods to Jordan’s political and cultural makeup of the time, as well as how the Hamdan brothers in particular contextualize their identities. Some of Abu-Jaber’s physical writing is lush, which I remember from my college days and her descriptions of food in her novel, CRESCENT. That was my major impetus for picking up her most recent work. It didn’t wow me as much as I hoped it would, but I’m glad I stayed with it. For the literary fiction-minded, I think there’s something to glean here.
March 14, 2022
Fencing With The King, Diane Abu-Jaber
I have admired the work of Abu-Jaber ever since her first novel Cresent. With this new evocative family saga, she proves again what an accomplished and insightful writer she is.
This engrossing new book takes you deep into one family’s history of exile, sibling jealously, unbridled ambition, and ultimately how it’s possible to find oneself by searching in the past.
The storytelling has a dreamlike and wondrous quality to it that enchants, while showing how the past can shape, wound, and even sometimes release many from it’s burdens.
It is the 1990s during the Middle East peace process and Gabriel Hamdan has been summoned back to Jordon after a 30+ year absence living in America. He’s been asked to partake in the King’s 60th birthday festivities and to perform in a fencing match with the king because he was a favored sparring partner when they were young men. His recently divorced daughter Amani, a poet and professor, is excited to make the trip with him.
Amani is looking forward to learning what she can about her father’s past and his mysterious family history since he has shared so little with her. Gabe’s oldest brother Hafez, works closely with the king and has arranged everything for their visit. However, Hafez's motivation for bringing his brother home goes beyond just familial reconnection. It appears Hafez has some deeply-held grievances against his brother and wants something from him. Amani admires this uncle, but also wants to learn all she can about their mother after finding poetry she wrote years earlier.
Lots of family history is revealed during the trip, including a very dark and disturbing secret. As Amani tries to learn more about her grandmother, the family’s sad and completely unexpected secret is also exposed. Both Gabe and Amani must face truths about others and themselves that are hard to reconcile.
This is a hypnotic, irresistible story about what it means to be an exile, a woman unsure of the way forward, and a discoverer of forgotten history. Best of all, it’s told beautifully and is woven into the sands of the deserts, the lushness of the gardens and the histories of the old sites of Jordan.
I have admired the work of Abu-Jaber ever since her first novel Cresent. With this new evocative family saga, she proves again what an accomplished and insightful writer she is.
This engrossing new book takes you deep into one family’s history of exile, sibling jealously, unbridled ambition, and ultimately how it’s possible to find oneself by searching in the past.
The storytelling has a dreamlike and wondrous quality to it that enchants, while showing how the past can shape, wound, and even sometimes release many from it’s burdens.
It is the 1990s during the Middle East peace process and Gabriel Hamdan has been summoned back to Jordon after a 30+ year absence living in America. He’s been asked to partake in the King’s 60th birthday festivities and to perform in a fencing match with the king because he was a favored sparring partner when they were young men. His recently divorced daughter Amani, a poet and professor, is excited to make the trip with him.
Amani is looking forward to learning what she can about her father’s past and his mysterious family history since he has shared so little with her. Gabe’s oldest brother Hafez, works closely with the king and has arranged everything for their visit. However, Hafez's motivation for bringing his brother home goes beyond just familial reconnection. It appears Hafez has some deeply-held grievances against his brother and wants something from him. Amani admires this uncle, but also wants to learn all she can about their mother after finding poetry she wrote years earlier.
Lots of family history is revealed during the trip, including a very dark and disturbing secret. As Amani tries to learn more about her grandmother, the family’s sad and completely unexpected secret is also exposed. Both Gabe and Amani must face truths about others and themselves that are hard to reconcile.
This is a hypnotic, irresistible story about what it means to be an exile, a woman unsure of the way forward, and a discoverer of forgotten history. Best of all, it’s told beautifully and is woven into the sands of the deserts, the lushness of the gardens and the histories of the old sites of Jordan.
January 14, 2024
A bit of a sprawling story that's sufficiently engaging, but whose character development falls flat. A Jordanian emigré father travels back to Jordan, bringing along his daughter for whom the trip represents a first visit, discovery of ethnic heritage, meet-the-relatives type of trip that is relatable to any number of second-gen Americans.
Purportedly the primary purpose of the visit is for the father (Gabe) to do a fencing exhibition with the King of Jordan (who trained, possibly?, with Gabe when they were young). Meanwhile, the reader learns about some darker family secrets - Gabe has an older brother Hafez, who was a professor in political science but was drafted buy the King to be an adviser, and is embroiled in all sorts of corruption and hijinks in the public sphere; he has also behaved badly with members of the family in the past, and is scheming to acquire some family heirlooms that he feels rightly belonged to him. In his youth, Hafez also made some damning claim that has haunted the family through multiple decades (and countries).
The love story that develops between Amani (the daughter) and Eduardo is only scantily developed and not entirely believable; the character of Hafez could have been portrayed with much more severity and more evil. There is a fascinating scene wherein Amani, father, cousin go into the desert, and she ends up there for multiple days - here the line between environment, perception, and the discord between reality and perception read most poetically, transporting the reader into the shoes of Amani as she experiences mirages under the desert sun, and without water or food.
By the way, there isn't too much about fencing in the book, which was fine with me.
Purportedly the primary purpose of the visit is for the father (Gabe) to do a fencing exhibition with the King of Jordan (who trained, possibly?, with Gabe when they were young). Meanwhile, the reader learns about some darker family secrets - Gabe has an older brother Hafez, who was a professor in political science but was drafted buy the King to be an adviser, and is embroiled in all sorts of corruption and hijinks in the public sphere; he has also behaved badly with members of the family in the past, and is scheming to acquire some family heirlooms that he feels rightly belonged to him. In his youth, Hafez also made some damning claim that has haunted the family through multiple decades (and countries).
The love story that develops between Amani (the daughter) and Eduardo is only scantily developed and not entirely believable; the character of Hafez could have been portrayed with much more severity and more evil. There is a fascinating scene wherein Amani, father, cousin go into the desert, and she ends up there for multiple days - here the line between environment, perception, and the discord between reality and perception read most poetically, transporting the reader into the shoes of Amani as she experiences mirages under the desert sun, and without water or food.
By the way, there isn't too much about fencing in the book, which was fine with me.
April 3, 2024
At a different time of my life, maybe I would have given this book 3 stars (as I cruise through the reviews of readers who gave it 1-3 stars); however, what follows is what led to 4 stars.
* I was reading a lot of heavy non-fiction books, and I needed something, while not totally rom-com light, it's a solid novel with some inklings of history. (Okay, so maybe I would have welcomed rom-com light, but this is not that). This novel took me into another life.
* I have a special memory associated with this book as I bought it while out with my daughter shopping at The King's English bookshop in Utah (followed by real gelato...just saying).
* The cover is gorgeous.
* Etaf Rum wrote a blurb for it. (I loved Rum's A Woman is No Man.)
* I liked the historical background and the geographical places in Jordan
* Abu-Jaber states in her author's note that this is not her family...but one can't help wondering which parts comes from her family.
* Some readers were expecting a true mystery. I don't think of this book in the genre of mysteries so I was not disappointed expectation wise.
That's it. I'd say my 4 stars is accurate. Why not 5? I don't actually have any bookmarks and quotes from the book.
Would my mom read it? Uh, hmmm, I can't recall any obvious cuss words or sex scenes. But, other readers mentioned getting confused by non-English words or by the cast of characters, so maybe she would not read it. I did not have any problem with the number of characters or the writing.
* I was reading a lot of heavy non-fiction books, and I needed something, while not totally rom-com light, it's a solid novel with some inklings of history. (Okay, so maybe I would have welcomed rom-com light, but this is not that). This novel took me into another life.
* I have a special memory associated with this book as I bought it while out with my daughter shopping at The King's English bookshop in Utah (followed by real gelato...just saying).
* The cover is gorgeous.
* Etaf Rum wrote a blurb for it. (I loved Rum's A Woman is No Man.)
* I liked the historical background and the geographical places in Jordan
* Abu-Jaber states in her author's note that this is not her family...but one can't help wondering which parts comes from her family.
* Some readers were expecting a true mystery. I don't think of this book in the genre of mysteries so I was not disappointed expectation wise.
That's it. I'd say my 4 stars is accurate. Why not 5? I don't actually have any bookmarks and quotes from the book.
Would my mom read it? Uh, hmmm, I can't recall any obvious cuss words or sex scenes. But, other readers mentioned getting confused by non-English words or by the cast of characters, so maybe she would not read it. I did not have any problem with the number of characters or the writing.
March 29, 2022
I started listening to “Fencing with the King” with the promise of a story based in the Jordan and an insight into the sport of fencing. It turns out I was wrong, I got much more than what I expected. Here’s why!
“Fencing with the King” tells the story of Amani, a Jordanian-American poet who is on a writer's block and still dealing with the recent failed marriage. When her father is invited to a session of fencing with the Jordanian King for his 60th anniversary, Amani takes this opportunity to discover more about her family’s and the country of her ancestors.
Through the book, Amani gets to discover her family and untangle the ups and downs from her family tree. When it comes to fencing, I was a bit disappointed to see that there only a few passages dedicated to this sport, far less than I expected for a book with the sports name in the title.
From a cultural perspective, the story was narrated like an introspection into the culture of the Middle East. The King’s banquet, the country’s history, and the description of the historical site of Petra are well crafted and made me enjoy the book a lot, and I hope it will delight you as well.
Special thanks to NetGalley, OrangeSky Audio, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.
If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!
#LifeLongLearning #FencingwiththeKing #NetGalley
“Fencing with the King” tells the story of Amani, a Jordanian-American poet who is on a writer's block and still dealing with the recent failed marriage. When her father is invited to a session of fencing with the Jordanian King for his 60th anniversary, Amani takes this opportunity to discover more about her family’s and the country of her ancestors.
Through the book, Amani gets to discover her family and untangle the ups and downs from her family tree. When it comes to fencing, I was a bit disappointed to see that there only a few passages dedicated to this sport, far less than I expected for a book with the sports name in the title.
From a cultural perspective, the story was narrated like an introspection into the culture of the Middle East. The King’s banquet, the country’s history, and the description of the historical site of Petra are well crafted and made me enjoy the book a lot, and I hope it will delight you as well.
Special thanks to NetGalley, OrangeSky Audio, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.
If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!
#LifeLongLearning #FencingwiththeKing #NetGalley
March 27, 2022
I read Abu-Jaber's Crescent years ago, and I was excited when her latest came out. In this novel, Amani and her father Gabe travel to Jordan - Amani to connect with her heritage and find out more about her grandmother, and Gabe to do his brother a favor by fencing with the King (an old sparring partner) at the king's 60th birthday dinner. Amani's search for information becomes complicated by family secrets, and this is the real core of the novel. Hers is a search for family connections and love, while other family members want to bury the past to further their own interests and cover up treachery.
On the whole, this is a well written and enjoyable novel about finding home and family trauma, and I was particularly absorbed by the storyline in the last third. One off note for me was a character meant to be psychologically complex and villainous but instead seemed cartoonish. Otherwise, the language is poetic, and the novel is rooted in history, especially the two Arab revolts and the peace negotiations of 1995. Wrapped up in Amani's search for connection is the legacy of Palestinian refugees whose past has disappeared, making them feel permanently rootless.
Thanks to NetGalley and WW Norton for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
On the whole, this is a well written and enjoyable novel about finding home and family trauma, and I was particularly absorbed by the storyline in the last third. One off note for me was a character meant to be psychologically complex and villainous but instead seemed cartoonish. Otherwise, the language is poetic, and the novel is rooted in history, especially the two Arab revolts and the peace negotiations of 1995. Wrapped up in Amani's search for connection is the legacy of Palestinian refugees whose past has disappeared, making them feel permanently rootless.
Thanks to NetGalley and WW Norton for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 20, 2022
Checking off a story from another country on my quest to read one from every country in the world.
Amani is an American child of an immigrant - as an adult she returns to Jordan to spend time with her uncle. At first she is enthralled by the culture, glitz and glamor of his life as a friend and advisor to the king. She begins to dig into the family history after being enticed by a poem she finds in her grandmother’s belongings. What she finds is that not all is what it seems.
I really enjoyed the slice of Middle Eastern culture we get in this story. The balance of the Royal life with what it means to live in the shadow of the constant strife in Israel and Palestine. Amani herself wasn’t the most interesting character but rather the stories of her uncle, father and grandmother really drove my interest. There are such powerful stories of pride, love, greed and entitlement. The twist of this family secret shakes not just the family but the future of the country as well. Lots of historical facts, political intrigue and a sprinkling of love make this one a must read.
Thanks to Booksparks and OrangeSky Audio for the gifted copy. All opinions above are my own.
Amani is an American child of an immigrant - as an adult she returns to Jordan to spend time with her uncle. At first she is enthralled by the culture, glitz and glamor of his life as a friend and advisor to the king. She begins to dig into the family history after being enticed by a poem she finds in her grandmother’s belongings. What she finds is that not all is what it seems.
I really enjoyed the slice of Middle Eastern culture we get in this story. The balance of the Royal life with what it means to live in the shadow of the constant strife in Israel and Palestine. Amani herself wasn’t the most interesting character but rather the stories of her uncle, father and grandmother really drove my interest. There are such powerful stories of pride, love, greed and entitlement. The twist of this family secret shakes not just the family but the future of the country as well. Lots of historical facts, political intrigue and a sprinkling of love make this one a must read.
Thanks to Booksparks and OrangeSky Audio for the gifted copy. All opinions above are my own.
April 19, 2022
Short synopsis: Amani goes with her father to visit his home country of Jordan. Amani goes on a journey to discover hidden family secrets, including a lost relative.
My thoughts: I enjoyed learning about a different culture and customs in The Middle East. I thought Amani was a great character who was willing to risk her life to investigate and uncover the family secrets.
This one just didn’t quite work for me. I listened on audio, and while the narrator did a wonderful job I think there was just too much going on in the story for me to keep up. It probably would work great as a Bookclub or buddy read to unpack and discuss all this book has to offer.
Read if you’re a sucker for:
* Historical fiction
* Learning about different cultures and customs
* A complex family story where everyone is not who they seem
Thank you to @booksparks and @netgalley for the audio version of this book in exchange for an honest review. This one is out now, so check it out!
My thoughts: I enjoyed learning about a different culture and customs in The Middle East. I thought Amani was a great character who was willing to risk her life to investigate and uncover the family secrets.
This one just didn’t quite work for me. I listened on audio, and while the narrator did a wonderful job I think there was just too much going on in the story for me to keep up. It probably would work great as a Bookclub or buddy read to unpack and discuss all this book has to offer.
Read if you’re a sucker for:
* Historical fiction
* Learning about different cultures and customs
* A complex family story where everyone is not who they seem
Thank you to @booksparks and @netgalley for the audio version of this book in exchange for an honest review. This one is out now, so check it out!
May 17, 2025
I had high hopes for this book, which perhaps was a mistake. I think I would have been less disappointed if my expectations were more neutral to begin with.
I am a former fencer, so I was looking forward to the fencing in this book. First and foremost, it was a big disappointment that fencing had such a small place in this story. I was fascinated by the falconer scene at the start, and was disappointed that did not become a more central theme. Likewise, I was hoping for more of a peek into Jordanian culture, as well as the Palestinian refugee identity and experience in Jordan. These also took a backseat to other themes.
In essence, this is the story of an American-born poet who travels with her dad to Jordan, finds a love interest, and learns about family drama. It’s a fine story if you’re interested in those things. For me, it was a slog to get through the first half. Lots of flat and semi-flat characters with little development. I put this book down many times, hence taking seven months to finish. The second half caught my attention more, and the last third was the most interesting.
I wish I could give this a higher rating, but it didn’t catch me like I hoped it would.
I am a former fencer, so I was looking forward to the fencing in this book. First and foremost, it was a big disappointment that fencing had such a small place in this story. I was fascinated by the falconer scene at the start, and was disappointed that did not become a more central theme. Likewise, I was hoping for more of a peek into Jordanian culture, as well as the Palestinian refugee identity and experience in Jordan. These also took a backseat to other themes.
In essence, this is the story of an American-born poet who travels with her dad to Jordan, finds a love interest, and learns about family drama. It’s a fine story if you’re interested in those things. For me, it was a slog to get through the first half. Lots of flat and semi-flat characters with little development. I put this book down many times, hence taking seven months to finish. The second half caught my attention more, and the last third was the most interesting.
I wish I could give this a higher rating, but it didn’t catch me like I hoped it would.
April 3, 2022
I really wanted to love this book, but in the end... it's mostly forgettable. I feel bad saying that, but honestly when I finished it and saw that Goodreads was down, my main hope was that it would come back before I forgot the book. It might just have been a "not for me," it could have been the narrator (who, while not the worst I've heard, definitely hangs around a strong dislike level), it might have been any number of things, but the writing just never grabbed me in a way that made me interested in the characters or what they were doing.
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