Guapa: A Novel

A gay man in the Middle East wrestles with identity, love, and the upheaval of his country in this “vibrant, wrenching debut novel” (The New Yorker).

Set over the course of twenty-four hours, Guapa follows Rasa, a gay man living in an unnamed Arab country, as he tries to carve out a life for himself in the midst of political and social upheaval. Rasa spends his days translating for Western journalists and pining for the nights when he can sneak his lover, Taymour, into his room.

One night Ras...