Target Selects "The Night Counter" Paperback by Arab American Author Alia Yunis as a Breakout New Novel

posted on: Aug 8, 2010

Target Stores has selected “The Night Counter” paperback (Random House, 2010) as one of its breakout new novels.

This means that Target will display “The Night Counter” from now until October as one of its book club reads. This is the first Arab American novel to be chosen.

Reviews for “Night Counter”

“Wonderfully imaginative…poignant, hilarious…The branches of this family tree support four generations of achievement, assimilation, disappointment, and dysfunction…Their stories form an affectionate, amusing, intensely human portrait of one family.”–THE BOSTON GLOBE

“The Night Counter” is also lighthearted, full of silly plays on words and comedic errors. In this easy-seeming way, the author aims, without being in any way preachy about it, to give us a short history of the Middle East and the Muslim faith in America — to say: Don’t be so quick to misunderstand us; we are, in so many of the ways detailed here, the same as you. She succeeds, very gracefully.” –THE WASHINGTON POST

“Yunis weaves a colorful tapestry…rich in character and spirit.” –ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

“Wonderfully imaginative and perfectly crafted…. Familial relationships are perfectly captured and each character is real and relatable, making The Night Counter an engrossing read.”–THE SACAMENTO BOOK REVIEW

“The Night Counter,” Alia Yunis’ first novel, mixes equal parts of magical realism, social commentary, family drama and lighthearted humor to create a delicious and intriguing indulgence worth savoring.” –MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE

“Little pigs and lost siblings make for decent bedtime story fodder. But the life and times of Fatima Abdullah, the madcap matriarch of Alia Yunis’s charming debut, The Night Counter, is even better.” –DAILY CANDY

“The Abdullahs are anything but a Norman Rockwell painting, but in their own way, they are a very typical American family. They may have their differences but they also have their stories. And, as Scheherazade points out, in the end, that’s what holds a family (much like a nation) together.” –CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

“Bittersweet and lovely, its stories are immersing and its spell enchanting. Readers of both light and literary fiction will delight in this lovely book.”–THE BOSTON BIBLIOPHILE

“The book is funny, sweet and sad. A few scenes are laugh-out-loud hilarious. This novel should resonate with readers of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. Highly recommended!” –ROANOKE TIMES

“Alia Yunis’s debut novel The Night Counter is arguably the first Arab-American “summer read”… With an endearing cast of characters, plot gifts that keep on giving, and touching portrayals of family relationships—The Night Counter offers an easygoing, coast-to-coast carpet ride though modern Arab-America…The Night Counter too can be thought of as a lifesaver— it is a celebration of female strength and resilience…” KIM JENSEN, RAIN TAXI

“…mixing typically American wit with that characteristically flowery Arab prose… A wonderful read that combines a splash of magic realism with culture, history, and comedy.” –TIME OUT BEIRUT

“Yunis’ page-turner is readable, fast-paced, humorous and humane…While Scheherazade’s stories, mythical, moral and vibrant as they are might rightfully be described as “charming,” Fatima’s stories are amusingly modern. They poke fun at both American and Arab contemporary culture, while hilariously highlighting the differences” –THE DAILY STAR (Lebanon)

“The Night Counter is not a moral lesson about the corruptive dangers of life in the United States: it’s a beautiful, sad and often extremely funny tale about an extended Arab family negotiating both post-9/11American and (perhaps even worse) the chaos and drama of four generation of family affairs.” –JO MAGAZINE (Jordan)

For more information go to:
www.aliayunis.com