Driving by Starlight

Anat Deracine

May 2018 · Sold by Henry Holt and Company (BYR)

About this ebook

In this debut YA friendship story set in Saudi Arabia, two girls navigate typical teen issues—crushes, college, family expectations, future hopes, and dreams.

Sixteen-year-olds Leena and Mishie are best friends. They delight in small rebellions against the Saudi cultural police—secret Western clothing, forbidden music, flirtations. But Leena wants college, independence—she wants a different life. Though her story is specific to her world (a world where it's illegal for women to drive, where a ten-year-old boy is the natural choice as guardian of a fatherless woman), ultimately it's a story about friendship, family, and freedom that transcends cultural differences.

- GODWIN BOOKS -

Ratings and reviews

[disclaimer: I received a pre-release copy from the author. I have not been compensated in any way for this review] This book is an amazing tale, and tears at the emotions very much. It's vivid and gripping, reflecting a culture that is different from Western culture yet so similar at the same time. Adults should read this book, too.

About the author

Anat Deracine is the pseudonym of a professional wanderer, whose passports include stamps from Iraq, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Turkey. She grew up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she watched scud missiles fall from the sky during the Gulf War. She studied engineering and philosophy at Cornell University, and political science at Oxford University. Today, she lives in San Francisco but travels to discover new cultures and perspectives.

Anat is the author of Driving by Starlight.