Turki al-Hamad’s explosive novel Adama became an unlikely bestseller in the Middle East, selling more than 20, 000 copies despite being officially banned in several countries, including the author’s native Saudi Arabia. A compelling coming-of-age story, it also offers a rare and stunning inside look at the hidden roots of dissent in the modern Arab world.
In his tranquil middle-class neighbourhood, eighteen-year-old Hisham doesn’t quite fit in. He’s a budding philosopher who spends his days reading banned books and developing his political ideals. His Saudi Arabia is a nation embroiled in internal conflict, torn between ancient tradition and newfound prosperity. Hisham finds himself caught up in the struggle for change, devoting more and more of his time to a shadowy group of dissenters even as he questions both their motives and methods.
The result is an intense showdown between Hisham’s love for his family, his firmly held philosophies, and his yearning for social justice. He awakens to passions both private and political, coming to grips with the paradoxes of a conservative land where illicit pleasures co-exist with the apparatus of a merciless state.