Celestial Bodies

"Celestial Bodies" is the international Booker Prize winner and an international bestseller by Jokha Alharthi. The story takes place in the village of al-Awafi in Oman and follows the lives of three sisters: Mayya, who marries Abdallah after a disappointment; Asma, who marries out of a sense of duty; and Khawla, who rejects all marriage proposals and waits for her beloved, who has emigrated to Canada. These women and their families experience how Oman transforms from a traditional, slave-holding society into a changing country redefining itself in the post-colonial era. Elegantly structured and compellingly told, "Celestial Bodies" is a novel that recounts the losses and love of a family while addressing Oman’s development.