Sisters – Khemiri Jonas Hassen (2025)

“One of the best novels I’ve ever read about the complexities of mixed heritage.” — New Yorker. “Superb . . . one of those books you live inside and miss when it’s over.” — Isabella Hammad, author of Enter Ghost. “A moving appraisal of family, language, and the spiritual developments that accrue over a life.” — Raven Leilani, author of Luster. “A thoroughly fascinating story about sibling rivalry, loyalty, and love.” — Fredrik Backman, author of A Man Called Ove. “If you welcome this novel into your mind, it will warm and transform you.” — Tess Gunty, author of The Rabbit Hutch. “Astonishing . . . every character — every sentence — is startlingly, indubitably alive.” — Katie Kitamura, author of Intimacies. “[His] masterpiece . . . life overflows its pages.” — Madeleine Thien, author of Do Not Say We Have Nothing. Meet the Mikkola sisters: Ina, Evelyn, and Anastasia. Their mother is a Tunisian carpet seller, while their mysterious Swedish father leaves them when they are young. Ina is tall, serious, and a compulsive organizer. Evelyn is dreamy, magnetic, and a smooth talker. Anastasia is moody, chaotic, and a shape-shifting presence, quick to anger. Ina meets her future husband after her sisters drag her to a New Year’s rave, only to suffer the ultimate betrayal. Evelyn drifts through life before embarking on a wild career as an actress. Anastasia runs away to Tunisia, where she falls in love with a woman who, years later, transforms her life. Following the sisters from afar is Jonas, the son of a Swedish mother and a Tunisian father. Over three decades, his life intersects with theirs, from a chance encounter in Tunis to the scene of a fighter jet crash in Stockholm. When Evelyn disappears during a trip to New York, Jonas tracks her down and helps her break the curse that has loomed over the Mikkolas for decades. In the process, a shocking revelation changes everything they think they know about themselves. Narrated in six parts, each spanning a period ranging from a year to a day to a single minute, this vivid family saga is an addictively entertaining tour de force.