My Friends by Hisham Matar is an elegant book of diaspora, exile, and political upheaval as told through the actions and thoughts of Khaled, a Libyan man who has created a life in England. Khaled’s life is juxtaposed with his two friends who also live in the liminality of exile from Libya, and the tension, love, connection, and strain between their relationships as the three of them navigate what the Arab Spring arises in each of them, and their subsequent actions (or lack thereof). 

There is no doubt that this quiet novel is masterful, and holds the tension of exile, diaspora, a sense of home, and the parts of one’s culture and upbringing one can never quite escape. The character development is excellent, and the connections between the characters are intricate and tangible. I don’t know if I loved this book - my attention drifted in and out as I walked the streets with Khaled - but I do think it was very well done. 

There is an intangible quality to this book that gives it resonance and is sticking with me. It’s as if the book has a soul, and has a breathing element that is greater than the sum of its parts. I am still figuring out what gives it staying power and what my experience with the book was, and. I am glad to have read it.