A Calamity of Noble Houses

Two prominent families, an illicit love affair, and a chorus of voices with multiple perspectives add up to a gripping saga set in modern Tunisia

“An epic novel, in which the writer portrays a pivotal decade in the modern history of Tunisia.”

"A stirring, engrossing tale."

"Amira Ghenim''s sweeping, multigenerational historical novel A Calamity of Noble Houses is not just a fictionalized version of [Tahar Haddad''s] life, but a kaleidoscopic portrait of Tunisian history"

“Suspenseful, compelling, and often darkly humorous... A gripping exploration of motherhood, social inequality, and personal identity.”

"A kaleidoscopic portrait of Tunisian history."--The New York Times

One fateful night in December 1935, the destinies of two prominent families are changed forever. Zubaida, the young wife of Mohsen Ennaifer, is suspected of a clandestine love affair with Tahar, a radical intellectual from humble origins. This scandalous tryst has many facets, many truths, that are recounted in the voices of the eleven different narrators who, in a feat of storytelling virtuosity, animate this spectacular novel. A complex fresco of secrets, memories, accusations, regrets, and passions set against the backdrop of a country in turmoil, in search of its modern identity.  

A compelling, muti-generational story of women’s lives in one of the Arab World’s most intriguing countries, a drama of forbidden love, and a contemporary narrative in which the truth remains forever slightly out of reach, A Calamity of Noble Houses is Amira Ghenim’s English language debut.  

• | Author: Amira Ghenim, Miled Faiza, Karen McNeill
• | Publisher: Europa Editions (UK) Ltd
• | Publication Date: Mar 27, 2025
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language: eng
• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9781787705586
• | ISBN-10: 1787705587