Vanished
The Mysterious Disappearance of Mustafa Ouda
by Ahmed Masoud
"[T]his gripping coming-of-age novel... deftly illuminates the layers of political and social life in Gaza during the 1980s, 1990s, and through the first decade of the 2000s, highlighting Palestinians’ vulnerability and strength in the face of overwhelming oppression. "Zeina Azzam, poet
Vanished: The Mysterious Disappearance of Mustafa Ouda
Omar, a young Palestinian in Gaza's largest refugee camp, is doggedly searching for his long-vanished father with the help of his loyal friend, Ahmed. Omar soon finds himself caught in the far-reaching tentacles of Israeli oppression during the tumultuous earlier decades when Israel's military ruled the Gaza Strip directly, while swirling tides of resistance arose, clashed, and threatened to engulf the whole of Gaza...
Vanished, first published by Rimal Books in Cyprus in 2015, was a powerful first novel from the British-Palestinian writer, playwright, and theater director Ahmed Masoud. That year, it was shortlisted for the MEMO Palestine Book Awards in London, where the awards jury described it as "fast-paced and compelling." It went on to win numerous plaudits from international media (see below.)
Just World Books is delighted to re-issue this very engaging and thought-provoking work by a writer deeply rooted in the continuing travails of the society he grew up in, in Gaza's Jabaliya refugee camp.
Plaudits for Vanished:
“[A]n accomplished novel that, quietly and without didacticism, gets to the heart of the terrible sacrifices demanded of a people living in a state of permanent, unrelenting siege.”The New Internationalist
“'Vanished' is a recommended read and Masoud’s is a sensitive and intelligent voice. It tells a story that could play out well on the screen.”Selma Dabbagh, in the Electronic Intifada
“In this gripping coming-of-age novel, life for young Omar in Gaza’s Jabalia Camp is full of fear and danger as he pieces together the story of his father’s mysterious disappearance. While navigating the machinations of a brutal Israeli military occupation and growing up among resistance fighters as well as collaborators, Omar has to make impossible choices and learns painful lessons while the love and steadfastness of family, friends, and community sustain him. Mansour deftly illuminates the layers of political and social life in Gaza during the 1980s, 1990s, and through the first decade of the 2000s, highlighting Palestinians’ vulnerability and strength in the face of overwhelming oppression.”Zeina Azzam, poet, writer, activist
“There are many bittersweet references to the idea of loss and return; the lost country, the lost father. The resolution of those themes, when it comes, towards the end of the novel, is both startling and unexpected.”Rebecca Sowray, in Louder Than War
“Mixing a thriller story with the reality of life in the Palestinian occupied territories. 'Vanished' is a novel which can be enjoyed by a wide public, not only by people interested in the Arab world.”Banipal Magazine
“Masoud is skillful at building up suspense; he drops no early hints of what happened to Omar's father.”The Jordan Times
“It's hard to imagine how the characters in this book, like the residents of Gaza themselves, manage to lead normal lives in a very abnormal, besieged society.”Times of Israel
Vanished: The Mysterious Disappearance of Mustafa Oudeh will be available March 25, 2025 in paperback (US$23.95) and e-book (US$14.95) versions.