Over The River PR

Your Bridge to Comprehensive Media Services

  • Home
  • What We Do
  • Who We Are
  • Who We Represent
    • Past Projects
  • What People Say About Us
  • Blog
  • Contact

By otrpr Leave a Comment

February 2023 Virtual Book Tour for BLACK FOAM by Haji Jabir, translated by Sawad Hussain and Marcia Lynx Qualey

“A captivating tale of one man’s tireless journey to belong. Perfect for readers of East African literature and historical fiction.” ―Booklist

“A searing exposé of the plight of Ethiopian Jews who immigrate to Israel. There is a cinematic quality to BLACK FOAM, a discovery of new worlds, with Haji Jabir pointing a camera, up close and intimate, at his protagonist’s anxieties and fancies. Scenes slice as Muslim Dawoud becomes Christian David then Jewish Dawit, accompanied by a haunting soundtrack of loneliness and the indomitable will to survive.” ―Leila Aboulela, author of River Spirit

Haji Jabir, the award-winning Eritrean author, is one of the most significant Arabic-language authors writing today. In BLACK FOAM, he weaves together a poignant tale about identity, belonging, refugees and racism that will resonate with many readers long after the last page is turned. Longlisted for the 2019 International Prize for Arabic Fiction, one of the most prestigious prizes for fiction in Arabic, BLACK FOAM will be published for the first time in English, translated by Sawad Hussain and Marcia Lynx Qualey (February 7, 2023; Amazon Crossing, by arrangement with the African Literary Agency).

With a unique poetic writing style, Jabir focuses on a community of Ethiopian Jews who move to Israel, and he creates a protagonist, Dawoud, who is on the run from his murky past, aiming to discover where he belongs. He tries to assimilate into different groups along his journey through North Africa and into Israel, changing his clothes, his religious affiliations, and even his name to fit in, but the safety and peace he seeks remain elusive. It seems prejudice is everywhere, holding him back, when all he really wants is to create a simple life he can call his own. A chameleon, Dawoud―or David, Adal, or Dawit, depending on where and when you meet him―is not lost in this whirl of identities. In fact, he is defined by it.

Dawoud’s journey is circuitous and specific, but the desire to belong is universal. Spellbinding to the final page, BLACK FOAM is both intimate and grand in scale, much like the experiences of the millions of people migrating to find peace and safety in the twenty-first century.

Check out the line up of stellar bloggers who will share features, post reviews and offer giveaways throughout the month of February. We hope you will follow along!

Monday, February 6 – This Browne Girl Reads

Tuesday, February 7 – We Love Big Books And We Cannot Lie

Wednesday, February 8 – Traveling Bookshelf

Thursday, February 9 – Subakka Bookstuff

Friday, February 10 – Bee is for Books

Monday, February 13 – Reading with Nicole

Tuesday, February 14 – Suzy Approved Book Reviews

Wednesday, February 15 – Tina May Reads

Thursday, February 16 – Lexijava AND What Is That Book About

Friday, February 17 – Sue the Bookie

Monday, February 20 – Translated Gems

Tuesday, February 21 – Bathtub Book Worm

Wednesday, February 22 – MJ Beauchamp

Thursday, February 23 – Bookalong

Friday, February 24 – Books and Coffee MX

Monday, February 27 – Girl Who Reads AND Danish Mustard Reads

Tuesday, February 28 – Mel Reads All The Things AND Gloriana Wong

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • More
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr

Related

Filed Under: Blog Tours Tagged With: Amazon Crossing, fiction, Literary fiction, OTRPR, Over the River PR, Over the River Public Relations

About otrpr

OTRPR is a PR firm specializing in innovative and individualized campaigns with a focus on electronic and social media, promotional writing, and one-on-one mentoring.Since 2000, we’ve helped hundreds of authors, publishers, non-profits, and small businesses achieve their publicity goals by generating key TV, radio, print, and online coverage.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET IN TOUCH?

CONTACT US

Follow Us

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedininstagram

Copyright © 2025 · Site designed and maintained by Bakerview Consulting