This is a book recommendation episode. In it, Travis and Amanda will attempt to persuade you, our wonderful listeners, to join us for a literary journey. Expect this episode to be under 30 minutes long, include references to the work but not spoilers, and celebrate what makes it compelling.
This book recommendation is for FENCING WITH THE KING by Diana Abu-Jaber. From the cover: “The King of Jordan is turning sixty! How better to celebrate than with his favorite pasttime - fencing - and with his old sparring partner, American emigre Gabriel Hamdan. Gabe’s past is a mystery to his daughter, Amani - even more so since she found a poem on blue airmail paper written by his mother, a Palestinian refugee who arrived in Jordan during World War I. The poem hints at a long-kept family secret, carefully guarded by Uncle Hafez, an advisor to the King.”