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Ghost Season
A mysterious burnt corpse appears one morning in Saraaya, a remote border town between northern and southern Sudan. For five strangers on an NGO compound, the discovery foreshadows trouble to come. South Sudanese translator William connects the corpse to the sudden disappearance of cook Layla, a northern nomad with whom he’s fallen in love. Meanwhile, Sudanese American filmmaker Dena struggles to connect to her unfamiliar homeland, and white midwestern aid worker Alex finds his plans thwarted by a changing climate and looming civil war. Dancing between the adults is Mustafa, a clever, endearing twelve-year-old, whose schemes to rise out of poverty set off cataclysmic events on the compound.
Amid the paradoxes of identity, art, humanitarian aid, and a territory riven by conflict, William, Layla, Dena, Alex, and Mustafa must forge bonds stronger than blood or identity. Weaving a sweeping history of the breakup of Sudan into the lives of these captivating characters, Fatin Abbas explores the porous and perilous nature of borders—whether they be national, ethnic, or religious—and the profound consequences for those who cross them. Ghost Season is a gripping, vivid debut that announces Abbas as a powerful new voice in fiction.
Amid the paradoxes of identity, art, humanitarian aid, and a territory riven by conflict, William, Layla, Dena, Alex, and Mustafa must forge bonds stronger than blood or identity. Weaving a sweeping history of the breakup of Sudan into the lives of these captivating characters, Fatin Abbas explores the porous and perilous nature of borders—whether they be national, ethnic, or religious—and the profound consequences for those who cross them. Ghost Season is a gripping, vivid debut that announces Abbas as a powerful new voice in fiction.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 10, 2023
72 people are currently reading
7007 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
April 11, 2023
A poignant account of five lives linked together forever against the backdrop of the Sudanese border as tragedy lurks, then explodes forward. Each character is nuanced and impactful; reflecting the complicated and ever changing statuses of a nation on the brink of conflict. This is a novel that is expressive to the core, it delivers a chilling look into poverty, war, and genocide; it explores how people attempt to connect to their homelands, through both art and action, and come away transformed. It explores how people make decisions with good intentions, but exact devastating consequences. This is also a novel that highlights that even in the hardest points in human history, love and friendship can bloom, bonds strengthen, and inspiration strikes. Everything about this novel is evocative; it is haunting, endearing, shocking, and moving. This is an incredible debut that ripples with meaning.
November 15, 2023
This book was such an unexpectedly stunning read. First it lulled me into a false sense of safety and made me love the characters but just when I started to think it had been misrepresented to me things got intense and in the end it broke my heart to the point where my reading notes were a little (completely) incoherent. Don't let the pretty cover or the first 50% of the book fool you this is a heart wrenching and intense read.
February 27, 2023
This novel’s setting is in a town located on what is now the border between South Sudan and Sudan during the final years of the Second Sudanese Civil War. This places the story’s action during the early 2000s. The story is centered around five characters with diverse personalities, ethnicities, and nationalities that are some of the differences that parallel the sides in the Civil War. These characters are living and working in an NGO compound whose purpose is to provide humanitarian development services for the surrounding region.
At the very beginning of the book the reader is given a ominous hint of potential violence to come with the description of an unidentified human body that has been burned beyond recognition. After this gruesome beginning the first half of the book continues with generally peaceful activity and setting descriptions giving the reader a chance to become familiar with the characters at the center of the plot while also providing an insightful description of the economic and social situation of the surrounding region.
Then about half way through the book conditions worsen, and ultimately all hell breaks loose and our characters are in the middle of a war with their NGO compound flooded with refugees. When militiamen search the supposedly neutral compound and find contraband weapons, then everybody is in trouble.
Eventually the peace talks that have been in progress for a number of years in Kenya lead to a ceasefire. The situation following the ceasefire is a stark contrast to the earlier violence. The book describes a wedding of two of the story’s characters from two difference ethnic backgrounds, and everybody at the wedding are happy in spite of their ethnic differences.
At this point I as a reader was wondering, can this story end on a happy note? I know war never ends in the Sudan and is continuing to this very day in Darfur, and South Sudan had their own subsequent civil war that continued until 2020. If this novel represents a microcosm of the conflicts, can the author end with this happy wedding?
I found it interesting to note that the author’s background matches that of one of the fictional characters. She was born in Sudan and moved to the United States as a young girl. Then later as an adult she worked for an NGO in Sudan that included some work in the town of Abyei, on the border of pre-secession North and South Sudan. The fictional town of Saraaya in this book is inspired by Abyei which continues to be a cause of unresolved conflict between the two Sudans.
This book could be classified as a historical novel since much of the setting and action is based on history. But all characters are fictional and the town has a fictional name. I’ve classed it as a “novel.”
At the very beginning of the book the reader is given a ominous hint of potential violence to come with the description of an unidentified human body that has been burned beyond recognition. After this gruesome beginning the first half of the book continues with generally peaceful activity and setting descriptions giving the reader a chance to become familiar with the characters at the center of the plot while also providing an insightful description of the economic and social situation of the surrounding region.
Then about half way through the book conditions worsen, and ultimately all hell breaks loose and our characters are in the middle of a war with their NGO compound flooded with refugees. When militiamen search the supposedly neutral compound and find contraband weapons, then everybody is in trouble.
Eventually the peace talks that have been in progress for a number of years in Kenya lead to a ceasefire. The situation following the ceasefire is a stark contrast to the earlier violence. The book describes a wedding of two of the story’s characters from two difference ethnic backgrounds, and everybody at the wedding are happy in spite of their ethnic differences.
At this point I as a reader was wondering, can this story end on a happy note? I know war never ends in the Sudan and is continuing to this very day in Darfur, and South Sudan had their own subsequent civil war that continued until 2020. If this novel represents a microcosm of the conflicts, can the author end with this happy wedding?
I found it interesting to note that the author’s background matches that of one of the fictional characters. She was born in Sudan and moved to the United States as a young girl. Then later as an adult she worked for an NGO in Sudan that included some work in the town of Abyei, on the border of pre-secession North and South Sudan. The fictional town of Saraaya in this book is inspired by Abyei which continues to be a cause of unresolved conflict between the two Sudans.
This book could be classified as a historical novel since much of the setting and action is based on history. But all characters are fictional and the town has a fictional name. I’ve classed it as a “novel.”
May 16, 2024
Ein mir unbekanntes Land ist vor meinen Augen entstanden - der Sudan. Eine grausame aber auch ganz wundervolle Geschichte voller Farben und Gerüche.
November 24, 2022
Ghost Season is a bit of an expository tale of the Sudanese Civil War, the main setting is at an NGO in a remote border village in Southern Sudan, where five strangers meet and their fates are forever altered. William, a local villager who works as a translator to the two Americans – Dena, an independent filmmaker of Sudanese origins, grapples with her identity and purpose, and Alex, a corporate sponsored cartographer, whose Western mannerisms, arrogance, and brashness offends the local officials with disastrous consequences. Rounding out the cast is Layla, the compound’s cook (and William’s love interest), and a local 12 year-old houseboy, Mustafa.
Although an act of violence occurs at the beginning of the novel, it takes a while for things to move. The first half explores character backgrounds and details the environmental impacts that climate change has on politics, regional trade, and tribal livelihood. Severe drought, dried wells/watering holes, evaporated lakes, and/or re-routed rivers force nomadic farmers to travel further north encroaching on designated government land to water and feed their cattle and themselves. These moves cause rebellions and armed reprisals leading to violence and death across the Northern and Southern regions, between the government and local tribesmen. Social, religious, and tribal customs are examined through Catholic William’s pursuit of Muslim Layla’s hand in marriage where disparities and tradition dictate the trajectory of their relationship.
While I found the writing solid enough, I found myself interested in the cultural and political aspects more than the characters and plot itself. Recommended for those who would like to learn more about Sudan and its challenges.
Thanks to W. W. Norton Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to review.
Although an act of violence occurs at the beginning of the novel, it takes a while for things to move. The first half explores character backgrounds and details the environmental impacts that climate change has on politics, regional trade, and tribal livelihood. Severe drought, dried wells/watering holes, evaporated lakes, and/or re-routed rivers force nomadic farmers to travel further north encroaching on designated government land to water and feed their cattle and themselves. These moves cause rebellions and armed reprisals leading to violence and death across the Northern and Southern regions, between the government and local tribesmen. Social, religious, and tribal customs are examined through Catholic William’s pursuit of Muslim Layla’s hand in marriage where disparities and tradition dictate the trajectory of their relationship.
While I found the writing solid enough, I found myself interested in the cultural and political aspects more than the characters and plot itself. Recommended for those who would like to learn more about Sudan and its challenges.
Thanks to W. W. Norton Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to review.
October 15, 2022
Whoa some nice writing here ... in this debut novel about five strangers who come to know each other well while working for a humanitarian organization at a compound in Sudan. There's Alex, an American whose job it is to make a map of the surrounding areas; William, a South Sudanese translator; Layla, a Sudanese cook; Dena, an American-Sudanese filmmaker; and Mustafa, a 12-year-old nomad who's come from poverty to help clean & work at the compound.
After a burned corpse is found one day, rumors spread in the village that war is going to erupt there. And dangers start to loom. The five NGO people, of various backgrounds & ethnicities, are pulled together as they navigate the changing situation and war eventually breaks out.
Each of the five are vividly portrayed and you come to learn their personalities and motivations ... and the friendships they form among one another in this remote place. Life in Sudan is captured in the story as well as the different factions of nomads and Nilotes. The novel becomes charged half way through when the war starts and an attack takes place ... It's both a heartwarming tale of the bonds between people & shared common goals and tragic for what happens in Sudan.
After a burned corpse is found one day, rumors spread in the village that war is going to erupt there. And dangers start to loom. The five NGO people, of various backgrounds & ethnicities, are pulled together as they navigate the changing situation and war eventually breaks out.
Each of the five are vividly portrayed and you come to learn their personalities and motivations ... and the friendships they form among one another in this remote place. Life in Sudan is captured in the story as well as the different factions of nomads and Nilotes. The novel becomes charged half way through when the war starts and an attack takes place ... It's both a heartwarming tale of the bonds between people & shared common goals and tragic for what happens in Sudan.
December 12, 2022
GHOST SEASON by Fatin Abbas is an astonishingly good novel about five strangers whose lives rapidly become intertwined in an NGO compound in the Sudanese border town of Saraaya. Set during the Sudanese Civil War, an ominous tone pervades the narrative, though the characters themselves are bright rays of sunshine.
There’s Dena, a queer young Sudanese American college grad, back in Sudan to film a documentary. Alex is a typical white American NGO worker, bullheadedly pursuing a project to map the area despite brewing violence and shifting geographic lines. William is Alex’s translator and cultural broker, trying to prevent Alex from pissing off local security forces. Layla is the cook for the compound, while Mustafa is an enterprising boy who has managed to get himself hired to do odd jobs for William.
Abbas has crafted the emotional arc of this story with precision and restraint, doling out exactly enough information for the reader to understand the portent of various scenes, gestures, and exchanges. Her immersive prose evokes a tactile sense of place, and I fell in love with her vivid, flawed characters. Abbas skillfully and seamlessly zooms in and out from different perspectives to capture this moment in history as well as the heartfelt story of loss and hope.
This one hit home on a personal level. Having worked for NGOs in other parts of Africa, I recognized the cross-cultural tensions, the privilege of expats, and the insensitivity of Americans (myself) that Abbas so deftly portrays. On a sadder note, I worked on activism surrounding the genocide in Darfur in college, and the ruthless militias mentioned in this book are a grim foreboding of what is to come for the country.
Ultimately, this is a book about unlikely friendships, love against all odds, and war’s relentless havoc on ordinary people. It’s a beautifully written story that you won’t forget. I haven’t been taken for such an emotional ride in a long time. I absolutely loved GHOST SEASON and it’s definitely the book I’ll be recommending to everyone throughout 2023.
Thank you @netgalley @w.w.norton for the eARC. GHOST SEASON is out on January 10th, 2023, and I can’t wait for the world to read it!
There’s Dena, a queer young Sudanese American college grad, back in Sudan to film a documentary. Alex is a typical white American NGO worker, bullheadedly pursuing a project to map the area despite brewing violence and shifting geographic lines. William is Alex’s translator and cultural broker, trying to prevent Alex from pissing off local security forces. Layla is the cook for the compound, while Mustafa is an enterprising boy who has managed to get himself hired to do odd jobs for William.
Abbas has crafted the emotional arc of this story with precision and restraint, doling out exactly enough information for the reader to understand the portent of various scenes, gestures, and exchanges. Her immersive prose evokes a tactile sense of place, and I fell in love with her vivid, flawed characters. Abbas skillfully and seamlessly zooms in and out from different perspectives to capture this moment in history as well as the heartfelt story of loss and hope.
This one hit home on a personal level. Having worked for NGOs in other parts of Africa, I recognized the cross-cultural tensions, the privilege of expats, and the insensitivity of Americans (myself) that Abbas so deftly portrays. On a sadder note, I worked on activism surrounding the genocide in Darfur in college, and the ruthless militias mentioned in this book are a grim foreboding of what is to come for the country.
Ultimately, this is a book about unlikely friendships, love against all odds, and war’s relentless havoc on ordinary people. It’s a beautifully written story that you won’t forget. I haven’t been taken for such an emotional ride in a long time. I absolutely loved GHOST SEASON and it’s definitely the book I’ll be recommending to everyone throughout 2023.
Thank you @netgalley @w.w.norton for the eARC. GHOST SEASON is out on January 10th, 2023, and I can’t wait for the world to read it!
September 2, 2025
Saraaya leży na granicy Sudanu i Sudanu Południowego, między pustynią a sawanną, między Nomadami i Nilotami, między chrześcijanami i muzułmanami, po środku niczego. Zapomniana i porzucona samej sobie. Nawet mieszczącej się tam placówki NGO nikt nie chce jechać. Przypadkowo wylądował tam Alex, zupełnie nieświadomy, co go czeka. Jego zadaniem jest kartowanie okolicy i aktualizacja istniejących już map.
Ciąg dalszy: https://przeczytalamksiazke.blogspot....
Ciąg dalszy: https://przeczytalamksiazke.blogspot....
June 13, 2024
This book broke me, healed me and broke me again.
Set in Sudan, this novel centers on five characters as civil war looms. We meet Alex, white NGO worker sent to Sudan to update geographical maps of the area. There’s William, a Sudanese man and Alex’s translator. Dena, a Sudanese American woman who is filming the local area for a documentary. Layla, the cook at the NGO compound and last but never least, Mustafa a young local boy who has talked his way into helping with chores and tasks around the compound.
Y’all when I tell you these characters will stay with me forever. I truly can’t believe that this is a debut novel. Even though the reader switches perspectives with all these characters, I still felt like I knew each one and each had a strong character arc. There was the feeling of tension from
•being on the verge of and fully in a civil war all while
•watching the cultural tension of an American NGO worker not so seamlessly interact with Sudanese officials and
•a forbidden love story.
Real history. Fantastic characters.
If I was a book crier, I would’ve cried reading this one. I really hope this author writes more!!
Set in Sudan, this novel centers on five characters as civil war looms. We meet Alex, white NGO worker sent to Sudan to update geographical maps of the area. There’s William, a Sudanese man and Alex’s translator. Dena, a Sudanese American woman who is filming the local area for a documentary. Layla, the cook at the NGO compound and last but never least, Mustafa a young local boy who has talked his way into helping with chores and tasks around the compound.
Y’all when I tell you these characters will stay with me forever. I truly can’t believe that this is a debut novel. Even though the reader switches perspectives with all these characters, I still felt like I knew each one and each had a strong character arc. There was the feeling of tension from
•being on the verge of and fully in a civil war all while
•watching the cultural tension of an American NGO worker not so seamlessly interact with Sudanese officials and
•a forbidden love story.
Real history. Fantastic characters.
If I was a book crier, I would’ve cried reading this one. I really hope this author writes more!!
October 14, 2024
Rep: South Sudanese Nilot mc, Sudanese mc, Sudanese lesbian mc
CWs: violence, sexual assault
CWs: violence, sexual assault
December 24, 2025
Very readable and interesting. The ending was inevitable unfortunately.
September 27, 2025
Finished this a few day and needed to sit with it because damn. I hate living in a world where kids can’t be kids, adults can’t love who they love, where communities can’t exist where they want to exist. I read books like this to try and understand a little bit of what it’s like to live in a world of war but my naive heart always wants a happy ending and the sad thing is there is no happy endings in a world of war.
The writing was so good. I genuinely felt inside the book experiencing what the characters were experiencing. I loved each POV and this little found family inside South Sudan. Can’t wait to read more by this author.
The writing was so good. I genuinely felt inside the book experiencing what the characters were experiencing. I loved each POV and this little found family inside South Sudan. Can’t wait to read more by this author.
January 4, 2023
I really enjoyed the first half of Ghost Season. Dena and Alex come to Sudan from America for different reasons and find themselves in the middle of an escalating conflict. My favourite characters are the staff of the compound where they are staying: William, the translator, is an outsider in this border town, but has learned to fit in. Mustafa, sent away from his home to work at the age of nine, is now the errand boy who has bigger ambitions for himself. Layla isn’t a multilayered character, but as the object of William’s affection, she is important to the story.
Maybe I’m to blame for not loving the second half of the novel. I knew nothing about Sudan (other than its location) before reading this novel. It is based on a very violent chapter in the country’s history – not even the most violent – but had I known, I would not have been blindsided by the graphically depicted brutality that befell all of the main characters and a whole lot of anonymous, generic refugees fleeing the violence in the south.
I know that we learn from history, but as a reader I am not equipped to handle such traumatic stuff. It chips away at my will to live when I see/hear/read explicit details of the disgusting things humans do to each other.
I received a DRC of this book from the publisher.
Maybe I’m to blame for not loving the second half of the novel. I knew nothing about Sudan (other than its location) before reading this novel. It is based on a very violent chapter in the country’s history – not even the most violent – but had I known, I would not have been blindsided by the graphically depicted brutality that befell all of the main characters and a whole lot of anonymous, generic refugees fleeing the violence in the south.
I know that we learn from history, but as a reader I am not equipped to handle such traumatic stuff. It chips away at my will to live when I see/hear/read explicit details of the disgusting things humans do to each other.
I received a DRC of this book from the publisher.
February 15, 2023
"Ghost Season" is a beautifully written and powerful debut novel that follows 5 residents at an NGO operating in Saraaya, Sudan over the course of nine months. Despite their many differences in background and ambitions, their lives become entwined, and, when conflict breaks out, they are forced into new understandings of themselves and each other.
The characters in this book are so artfully depicted. Each felt incredibly real - an interesting mix of admirable traits and flaws and complicated motivations and deep emotions. I empathized with each of them, even when I didn't really like them. The plot moves kind of slowly, allowing the reader ample time to soak in the setting and learn about the characters. Even during the more active scenes, there is restraint. This is not a page-turner but rather a book to carefully savor...even in the moments that are sad or horrifying. And there are many, so be forewarned.
It was fascinating to learn a little bit about the country of Sudan and the conflict between the nomads and the nilotes. I definitely still don't undertand any of it with nuance, and I would like to learn more.
Finally, the end.
The characters in this book are so artfully depicted. Each felt incredibly real - an interesting mix of admirable traits and flaws and complicated motivations and deep emotions. I empathized with each of them, even when I didn't really like them. The plot moves kind of slowly, allowing the reader ample time to soak in the setting and learn about the characters. Even during the more active scenes, there is restraint. This is not a page-turner but rather a book to carefully savor...even in the moments that are sad or horrifying. And there are many, so be forewarned.
It was fascinating to learn a little bit about the country of Sudan and the conflict between the nomads and the nilotes. I definitely still don't undertand any of it with nuance, and I would like to learn more.
Finally, the end.
February 7, 2023
4.5
An absolute gem. Fatin Abbas did an outstanding job of depicting Sudanese life in the brutal heat of civil war and in the mundane moments of peace alike: the warmth of community, the pernicious bigotry, the generosity, the corrupt authorities, the beautiful amalgam of different cultures, and the repulsive prejudices that continue to govern many Sudanese people's judgment. I loved how the multiple narratives converged to offer a comprehensive take on the struggle in war-torn Saraaya.
However, something had been bothering me which was, although neither a fatal historical inconsistency nor very significant to the plot, it recurred enough that it was rather difficult not to take into consideration: although the story takes place from late 2001 and a little after the signing of the Machakos Protocol, roughly in mid-2002, the value of Sudanese pound seemed to correspond more to its deteriorating state after recent (and sadly ongoing) inflation following the coup in 2019 almost two decades after the event. I almost fell off my chair while reading the part where a character was trying to sell a bra for 700 SDG in 2002. Again, might not be important, but it irked me all the same.
In short, Ghost Season is a powerful and eye-opening tale about finding strength in most hopeless situation. I recommend to anyone looking for a self-discovery journey complete with a history lesson and wonderful prose.
An absolute gem. Fatin Abbas did an outstanding job of depicting Sudanese life in the brutal heat of civil war and in the mundane moments of peace alike: the warmth of community, the pernicious bigotry, the generosity, the corrupt authorities, the beautiful amalgam of different cultures, and the repulsive prejudices that continue to govern many Sudanese people's judgment. I loved how the multiple narratives converged to offer a comprehensive take on the struggle in war-torn Saraaya.
However, something had been bothering me which was, although neither a fatal historical inconsistency nor very significant to the plot, it recurred enough that it was rather difficult not to take into consideration: although the story takes place from late 2001 and a little after the signing of the Machakos Protocol, roughly in mid-2002, the value of Sudanese pound seemed to correspond more to its deteriorating state after recent (and sadly ongoing) inflation following the coup in 2019 almost two decades after the event. I almost fell off my chair while reading the part where a character was trying to sell a bra for 700 SDG in 2002. Again, might not be important, but it irked me all the same.
In short, Ghost Season is a powerful and eye-opening tale about finding strength in most hopeless situation. I recommend to anyone looking for a self-discovery journey complete with a history lesson and wonderful prose.
June 22, 2023
Very here for the context and setting, but key character dynamics and conflicts didn't convince me/feel emotionally believable, and I was distracted by that as well as occasional awkwardness in the writing style and choices (including a moment when a mule suddenly turned into a donkey). Sounds like a lot of other folks loved it tho so could just be me.
September 3, 2024
this book knocked the wind out of me- it's so beautiful and difficult to read, but you really feel the connections to the characters deeply
November 29, 2024
This is a tough one to review. Fatin Abbas, the author, teaches writing at MIT. And it is my opinion that her writing reflects this. It is brilliant. This, though, is a difficult tale to read. It's not the writing that makes it difficult, but the subject matter.
I've learned, since finishing the book, that the timeline seems to be in the early 2000s, in the setting of the Second Sudanese Civil War. It is set in Saraaya, a fictional town (also just learned this) at the border between northern and southern Sudan.
There are five major characters: William, a Nilot who has a job as a translator; Alex, an American, who took a post there to help develop maps of the area; Mustafa, a young boy who works at their NGO compound, cleaning; Layla, a nomad who works at the compound, cooking meals; and Dena, a young Sudanese-American woman (who doesn't really belong in either place) who is trying to make a career of filmmaking. The ongoing relationships between these five characters are complex as they evolve.
The story begins with the discovery of a charred corpse, that is brought in by some workers. When the corpse arrives, Layla is not there, and William, who likes her a lot, begins to worry that it is her. So he assigns Mustafa the task of finding out where Layla lives, in hopes of finding her, as she didn't show up at the compound that morning. And that is just one of the many little subplots that meander through this book.
Sometimes, it's a romance story; sometimes, it's a war story, because there are government people and rebels, nomads and others. They are not too far from the city of Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan. But things out in their area are a lot less stable than they are in the capital. At any given point, the reader might experience conflicting emotions regarding each character (except for maybe Layla; I don't think I ever didn't like her). Alex is cast as a typical American, who thinks everything revolves around him and his work and desires. Mustafa seems to be a typical adolescent, constantly sulking when he doesn't get his way. Dena is rough around the edges, doesn't like Alex, but Alex likes her and doesn't understand why she doesn't like him.
But war and tragedy have a way of bringing people together and shattering differences between them. And the author does a great job of bringing that to pass. So much so that I really can't say that I liked the ending of this book. But the ending reflects the reality of a culture that I have little experience with and even less understanding of.
And I'll be honest . . . I'm not sure I get the title. At the beginning, we are kind of lured into thinking this is going to be a murder mystery; who is the corpse? what happened to this person? But that's not what it is at all. It is much more, so much more.
Recommended for fans of historical fiction, literary fiction, and just really good writing.
I've learned, since finishing the book, that the timeline seems to be in the early 2000s, in the setting of the Second Sudanese Civil War. It is set in Saraaya, a fictional town (also just learned this) at the border between northern and southern Sudan.
There are five major characters: William, a Nilot who has a job as a translator; Alex, an American, who took a post there to help develop maps of the area; Mustafa, a young boy who works at their NGO compound, cleaning; Layla, a nomad who works at the compound, cooking meals; and Dena, a young Sudanese-American woman (who doesn't really belong in either place) who is trying to make a career of filmmaking. The ongoing relationships between these five characters are complex as they evolve.
The story begins with the discovery of a charred corpse, that is brought in by some workers. When the corpse arrives, Layla is not there, and William, who likes her a lot, begins to worry that it is her. So he assigns Mustafa the task of finding out where Layla lives, in hopes of finding her, as she didn't show up at the compound that morning. And that is just one of the many little subplots that meander through this book.
Sometimes, it's a romance story; sometimes, it's a war story, because there are government people and rebels, nomads and others. They are not too far from the city of Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan. But things out in their area are a lot less stable than they are in the capital. At any given point, the reader might experience conflicting emotions regarding each character (except for maybe Layla; I don't think I ever didn't like her). Alex is cast as a typical American, who thinks everything revolves around him and his work and desires. Mustafa seems to be a typical adolescent, constantly sulking when he doesn't get his way. Dena is rough around the edges, doesn't like Alex, but Alex likes her and doesn't understand why she doesn't like him.
But war and tragedy have a way of bringing people together and shattering differences between them. And the author does a great job of bringing that to pass. So much so that I really can't say that I liked the ending of this book. But the ending reflects the reality of a culture that I have little experience with and even less understanding of.
And I'll be honest . . . I'm not sure I get the title. At the beginning, we are kind of lured into thinking this is going to be a murder mystery; who is the corpse? what happened to this person? But that's not what it is at all. It is much more, so much more.
Recommended for fans of historical fiction, literary fiction, and just really good writing.
May 4, 2023
My Interest
The colors on the cover where what first grabbed my attention. Then I liked the sound of the story. I’ve been an expat in an African nation, so that resonated with me. We are to be reading now outside of the “Colonial Canon,” learning to understand the real life of each country, as told by its indigenous people–not the story told by the conquerors, so give all I knew of the area was “Kitchener of Khartoum” and the famines, I figured this would update my knowledge quite a bit. On a personal level, at about the time of the story, I sold my first house to refugees from that area and that conflict.
The Story
map-of-sudan
In the very early 2000s, a quintet of both likely and unlikely co-workers form an outpost of an NGO–a Non-Governmental Organization. Those are the people in the ubiquitous white Toyota crew cab pick ups you see whenever aid agencies are show at a famine in Africa. William is a Catholic from the south who is educated and works as the translator for the expatriate staff. Layla, a young Muslim woman from the North who cooks for the staff, Deana, a Sudanese-America back to make an art film, Alex a graduate student in geography there to provide better maps, and Mustafa a boy of about 12 who does everything from “fixer” type work to the drudgery of laundry and sweeping. All are young, all have their own motives for being there.
A corpse is found and soon the political and emotional landscape of the area changes rapidly leaving the group in a dangerous situation. When Mustafa, whose mother nags him to make money even at his young age, is offered a deal too good to turn down, things become even worse.
My Thoughts
This was a very compelling story. Having known many a “William”–educated, interested, and unable to find suitable employment because too many expats are recruited to do the jobs of the educated, I felt for him immediately. Mustafa–everyone who has been an expat has known a Mustafa, but that made his story even more poignant for me. A child of 11 or 12 supporting his family–who could fail to be moved. The expats were the usual jokes. Dena, a lesbian film maker who thinks she is “safe” because she is both Sudanese and American, but isn’t because she is too brash and intentionally sticks out. Her childhood memories of visiting family in Khartoum are useless. Alex–Alex was the quintessential naïve, idealistic graduate student seeing a chance to save the world with his maps (and get a Phd thesis out of the experience). Without William, Mustafa and sweet, smart Layla, the expats would have been toast by day two. The diplomacy skills of all three of the “locals” (as no doubt they were called by the others) was something.
The struggle all of them endured to do their jobs honestly, to stay safe and for the Sudanese members of the staff to keep their toe-holds on prosperity without falling afoul of the authorities was very real. The entire story was well told. The dialogue believable and done without silly dialects. Alex’s terror was very real and normal. It’s all great going and doing a job in a place like that until the unthinkable becomes reality. Then the urge to flee to the embassy is over whelming.
It was hard to believe this is a debut novel–it was that compelling. I look forward to much more from this author.
My Verdict
4.0
The colors on the cover where what first grabbed my attention. Then I liked the sound of the story. I’ve been an expat in an African nation, so that resonated with me. We are to be reading now outside of the “Colonial Canon,” learning to understand the real life of each country, as told by its indigenous people–not the story told by the conquerors, so give all I knew of the area was “Kitchener of Khartoum” and the famines, I figured this would update my knowledge quite a bit. On a personal level, at about the time of the story, I sold my first house to refugees from that area and that conflict.
The Story
map-of-sudan
In the very early 2000s, a quintet of both likely and unlikely co-workers form an outpost of an NGO–a Non-Governmental Organization. Those are the people in the ubiquitous white Toyota crew cab pick ups you see whenever aid agencies are show at a famine in Africa. William is a Catholic from the south who is educated and works as the translator for the expatriate staff. Layla, a young Muslim woman from the North who cooks for the staff, Deana, a Sudanese-America back to make an art film, Alex a graduate student in geography there to provide better maps, and Mustafa a boy of about 12 who does everything from “fixer” type work to the drudgery of laundry and sweeping. All are young, all have their own motives for being there.
A corpse is found and soon the political and emotional landscape of the area changes rapidly leaving the group in a dangerous situation. When Mustafa, whose mother nags him to make money even at his young age, is offered a deal too good to turn down, things become even worse.
My Thoughts
This was a very compelling story. Having known many a “William”–educated, interested, and unable to find suitable employment because too many expats are recruited to do the jobs of the educated, I felt for him immediately. Mustafa–everyone who has been an expat has known a Mustafa, but that made his story even more poignant for me. A child of 11 or 12 supporting his family–who could fail to be moved. The expats were the usual jokes. Dena, a lesbian film maker who thinks she is “safe” because she is both Sudanese and American, but isn’t because she is too brash and intentionally sticks out. Her childhood memories of visiting family in Khartoum are useless. Alex–Alex was the quintessential naïve, idealistic graduate student seeing a chance to save the world with his maps (and get a Phd thesis out of the experience). Without William, Mustafa and sweet, smart Layla, the expats would have been toast by day two. The diplomacy skills of all three of the “locals” (as no doubt they were called by the others) was something.
The struggle all of them endured to do their jobs honestly, to stay safe and for the Sudanese members of the staff to keep their toe-holds on prosperity without falling afoul of the authorities was very real. The entire story was well told. The dialogue believable and done without silly dialects. Alex’s terror was very real and normal. It’s all great going and doing a job in a place like that until the unthinkable becomes reality. Then the urge to flee to the embassy is over whelming.
It was hard to believe this is a debut novel–it was that compelling. I look forward to much more from this author.
My Verdict
4.0
December 13, 2022
This is a powerful debut novel set in African continent area of the Sudan. There is so much going on in this novel that I often had to go back and reread a page or two when I read other books between finishing this one. There's climate change affecting the life of the nomad people and intense conflicts left over from period of Egyptian rule and the U.K.'s occupation. There are numerous characters with a variety of issues. Alex, a young American man eager to make a name for himself with his first NGO job. Unfortunately, he is often impatient and expects everything to happen just as it does back in the USA; needless to say, Alex can be very irritating to both the reader and Alex's interpreter, William. Yes, Alex has a job in a country where he doesn't know minimal phrases of the language. Alex shares a compound (of sorts) with an emerging female film maker who is documenting what is happening with the conflicting factions. I loved this book for its historical significance.
Although I really liked this book and rounded a 4.5 enjoyment to 5 stars because the quality was definitely better than rounding down, it may not necessarily be a book that is a must read for everyone; a reader has to be someone who enjoys learning about different cultures and cares about the world. At times, I wanted to condense parts of the book or have more details in other sections. This is my honest opinion in exchange for a much appreciated ARC from W.W. Norton publishers and BookBrowse.com This book publishes in late January 2023. I previously reviewed this book at BookBrowse:
https://www.bookbrowse.com/reader_rev...
Although I really liked this book and rounded a 4.5 enjoyment to 5 stars because the quality was definitely better than rounding down, it may not necessarily be a book that is a must read for everyone; a reader has to be someone who enjoys learning about different cultures and cares about the world. At times, I wanted to condense parts of the book or have more details in other sections. This is my honest opinion in exchange for a much appreciated ARC from W.W. Norton publishers and BookBrowse.com This book publishes in late January 2023. I previously reviewed this book at BookBrowse:
https://www.bookbrowse.com/reader_rev...
April 26, 2023
Ghost Season is Fatin Abbas debut novel in which she manages to focus our attention simultaneously on the horrors of the encroaching civil war in Sudan and on five characters whose lives intimately intersect despite their lack of commonality.
Because the characters have diverse backgrounds and reasons for being in Sudan, they offer sharply varying perspectives on the events and circumstances around them as well as on their personal aspirations.
The result is a deeply immersive story which draws you in to the poverty, violence and tragedy while also portraying friendship, love and hope.
The writing is vivid. Readers can feel the heat, the sense of dislocation and the fears of the characters but also their emerging humanity. Universal racism and tribal conflicts are on full display here and the story is like a history lesson on this period of time in Sudan.
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.#ghostseason #fatinabbas #wwnorton #historicalfiction #africanliterature #africanlit #sudan #debutnovel #20booksbyblackwomen #readdiversebooks #diversespines #readersofinstagram #readersofig #bookrec #bookreview #readmore #readmoorebooks #justbooksbookstagram #bookstgram #bookreview #shereadsalot
August 13, 2025
Erstmal: ich bin froh, dass ich es gelesen habe, da wir alle glaube ich viel von den Beschreibungen und Eindrücken Sudans der Autorin lernen und mitnehmen können.
Geht es um die Geschichte, bin ich etwas zwiegespalten. Denn jede eigene Person in der Geschichte, mit etwas mehr Hintergrund, bekommt Platz und eigene Gedanken geschrieben, was mir sehr gut gefallen hat, da so die Vorkommnisse aus verschiedenen Sichtweisen beleuchtet werden konnten.
Details in der Handlung zogen sich für mein Empfinden zu sehr und am Anfang noch thematisierte Geschehen, wurden später nicht mehr wirklich aufgegriffen. Das Ende war dann für mich so, dass ich erstmal total überrascht davon war und es mich getroffen hat, bei späterem Nachdenken muss ich aber sagen, dass das für mich aber in einer Form ,,unnötig“ war, da so ein Plot bereits vorher aufgetreten war.
Viel meiner jetzt dargestellten Probleme mit dem Buch sollten eigenes Empfinden sein- ich mochte nämlich an sich den sehr detaillierten und atmosphärischen Schreibstil der Autorin.
Sidenote: Etwas geärgert hat mich jedeoch, dass in diesem jedoch wenig neutrale Wörter zu Körpern verwendet wurden und Frauen* teilweise gegeneinander ausgespielt wurden (à la ,,Sie war anders als alle anderen“)
Geht es um die Geschichte, bin ich etwas zwiegespalten. Denn jede eigene Person in der Geschichte, mit etwas mehr Hintergrund, bekommt Platz und eigene Gedanken geschrieben, was mir sehr gut gefallen hat, da so die Vorkommnisse aus verschiedenen Sichtweisen beleuchtet werden konnten.
Details in der Handlung zogen sich für mein Empfinden zu sehr und am Anfang noch thematisierte Geschehen, wurden später nicht mehr wirklich aufgegriffen. Das Ende war dann für mich so, dass ich erstmal total überrascht davon war und es mich getroffen hat, bei späterem Nachdenken muss ich aber sagen, dass das für mich aber in einer Form ,,unnötig“ war, da so ein Plot bereits vorher aufgetreten war.
Viel meiner jetzt dargestellten Probleme mit dem Buch sollten eigenes Empfinden sein- ich mochte nämlich an sich den sehr detaillierten und atmosphärischen Schreibstil der Autorin.
Sidenote: Etwas geärgert hat mich jedeoch, dass in diesem jedoch wenig neutrale Wörter zu Körpern verwendet wurden und Frauen* teilweise gegeneinander ausgespielt wurden (à la ,,Sie war anders als alle anderen“)
December 19, 2024
2,5 Sterne
Vier Personen arbeiten bei und im Umfeld einer NGO im Sudan eng für ein Projekt zusammen: William, Layla, Dena und Alex. William ist Nilote und Layla Nomadin, zwei verfeindete Volksgruppen. Die beiden verlieben sich ineinander und geraten mit den anderen Figuren in die Unruhen des Bürgerkriegs.
Mir hat der politisch-informative Aspekt des Romans gefallen und zu Beginn dachte ich, dass das für das ganze Buch gelten könnte. Jedoch empfand ich die Erzählweise als sehr zäh, viele unnötige Beschreibungen, vorhersehbare Enrwicklungen zwischen den Figuren, eine nicht sehr überzeugende Handlung und allgemein auch ein schwacher sprachlicher Ausdruck - mag vielleicht auch an der Übersetzung liegen. Hätte ich das Buch nicht von einer Freundin ausgeliehen bekommen, hätte ich es vermutlich nach der Hälfte abgebrochen.
Vier Personen arbeiten bei und im Umfeld einer NGO im Sudan eng für ein Projekt zusammen: William, Layla, Dena und Alex. William ist Nilote und Layla Nomadin, zwei verfeindete Volksgruppen. Die beiden verlieben sich ineinander und geraten mit den anderen Figuren in die Unruhen des Bürgerkriegs.
Mir hat der politisch-informative Aspekt des Romans gefallen und zu Beginn dachte ich, dass das für das ganze Buch gelten könnte. Jedoch empfand ich die Erzählweise als sehr zäh, viele unnötige Beschreibungen, vorhersehbare Enrwicklungen zwischen den Figuren, eine nicht sehr überzeugende Handlung und allgemein auch ein schwacher sprachlicher Ausdruck - mag vielleicht auch an der Übersetzung liegen. Hätte ich das Buch nicht von einer Freundin ausgeliehen bekommen, hätte ich es vermutlich nach der Hälfte abgebrochen.
October 24, 2024
Just going to post my thread here!!!
1506 EAT 20241022: GHOST SEASON has me throwing out what was supposed to be a make-up session for 20th’s #SundayCinema (complimentary)
The way this book is *skewering* aid workers??? I’m LIVING
2053 EAT 20241022: Fatin Abbas you must answer for putting me in my feels
Or—
I’ll be attending the @WARSCAPES book club meeting on Saturday (join me if you can)
2101 EAT 20241022: Shukran to @mlynxqualey for leading me to GHOST SEASON— I’ll be thinking about it for a long time!
1350 EAT 20241023: This book had me reading the Machakos Protocol when I tell you Fatin Abbas is a WRITER!!! https://peacemaker.un.org/sites/defau...
1506 EAT 20241022: GHOST SEASON has me throwing out what was supposed to be a make-up session for 20th’s #SundayCinema (complimentary)
The way this book is *skewering* aid workers??? I’m LIVING
2053 EAT 20241022: Fatin Abbas you must answer for putting me in my feels
Or—
I’ll be attending the @WARSCAPES book club meeting on Saturday (join me if you can)
2101 EAT 20241022: Shukran to @mlynxqualey for leading me to GHOST SEASON— I’ll be thinking about it for a long time!
1350 EAT 20241023: This book had me reading the Machakos Protocol when I tell you Fatin Abbas is a WRITER!!! https://peacemaker.un.org/sites/defau...
February 11, 2023
Deeply compelling characters and narrative made this book nearly impossible to put down. While anyone and everyone should read Ghost Season, it will have extra resonance for those with a connection to the aid sector--which is delicately yet devastatingly skewered in the novel. I thought often of one of my arrivals at Entebbe airport that coincided with that of an evacuation flight from Juba during a period of intense conflict. The immigration officers explained to the rest of us that priority would be given to the shell-shocked passengers, those lucky enough to escape. The book reinforces how inadequate understanding of civil conflict is among those who haven't experienced it, while offering a searing portrayal that brings us as close as possible.
April 9, 2024
Ich habe dieses Buch angefangen zu lesen ohne genau zu wissen worum es geht und wurde positiv überrascht!
Zuerst leitet uns die Autorin in das Leben von 5 Menschen ein, welche gemeinsam auf dem Gelände einer NGO in Saraaya, einem fiktiven Grenzort im Sudan leben und arbeiten. Über die fast 400 Seiten hinweg lernen wir die einzelnen Charaktere gut kennen und es entwickeln sich ein interessantes Beziehungsgeflechte. Neben den 5 Charakteren und einer Liebesgeschichte stehen auch die Spannungen zwischen Niloten und Nomaden im Zentrum des Romans.
Fatin Abbas gelingt es eine vielschichtige Geschichte zu erzählen, die mehrere wichtige und oft auch schwere Themen behandelt. Dabei bringt die Liebesgeschichte immer wieder eine Leichtigkeit dazwischen.
Der schreibstil hat mir sehr gut gefallen und ich mochte, die Abwechslung zwischen deskriptiven Passagen und anderen, in welchen es lediglich um die Handlung und die Abfolge verschiedener Ereignisse geht. Des Weiteren mochte ich während des Lesens, wie man auch mehr über das Land und die Kultur erfährt.
Nach der ersten Hälfte wollte ich das Buch auch nicht mehr aus den Händen legen, da die Spannung durchgehend gehalten wurde und immer mehr Sachen passierten.
Die Liebesgeschichte fand ich passend, bloß an der einen oder anderen stelle ein wenig zu kitschig.
Dennoch ein sehr gelungener Roman, den ich auf jeden Fall weiterempfehlen würde!
Zuerst leitet uns die Autorin in das Leben von 5 Menschen ein, welche gemeinsam auf dem Gelände einer NGO in Saraaya, einem fiktiven Grenzort im Sudan leben und arbeiten. Über die fast 400 Seiten hinweg lernen wir die einzelnen Charaktere gut kennen und es entwickeln sich ein interessantes Beziehungsgeflechte. Neben den 5 Charakteren und einer Liebesgeschichte stehen auch die Spannungen zwischen Niloten und Nomaden im Zentrum des Romans.
Fatin Abbas gelingt es eine vielschichtige Geschichte zu erzählen, die mehrere wichtige und oft auch schwere Themen behandelt. Dabei bringt die Liebesgeschichte immer wieder eine Leichtigkeit dazwischen.
Der schreibstil hat mir sehr gut gefallen und ich mochte, die Abwechslung zwischen deskriptiven Passagen und anderen, in welchen es lediglich um die Handlung und die Abfolge verschiedener Ereignisse geht. Des Weiteren mochte ich während des Lesens, wie man auch mehr über das Land und die Kultur erfährt.
Nach der ersten Hälfte wollte ich das Buch auch nicht mehr aus den Händen legen, da die Spannung durchgehend gehalten wurde und immer mehr Sachen passierten.
Die Liebesgeschichte fand ich passend, bloß an der einen oder anderen stelle ein wenig zu kitschig.
Dennoch ein sehr gelungener Roman, den ich auf jeden Fall weiterempfehlen würde!
August 17, 2024
The book is mostly well written and overall accomplishes what it sets out to achieve, but I could not, in good faith, recommend this book to anyone based on the ending. Even worse, the author tacked on a useless epilogue instead of fully committing to said ending. I probably would have rated this book a 3.5 or 4 before reading the last 5%.
February 7, 2023
I so badly want to feel differently about this book. It’s beautifully written and informative. I learned a lot about Sudan and the civil war and I’m glad I read it. I just couldn’t get into the storyline.
March 4, 2023
Beautifully written and a pleasure to read. Every detail was so genuine and spot-on that it transported me back to the Sudan. Gestures, smells, sights, laughter and delight and then the absolute crushing despair of this corner of the world.
Fabulous author!
Fabulous author!
May 24, 2023
Great book, but it left me even angrier than when I read Faulkner's As I Lay Dying.
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