Daily Times

It is the day after September 11, 2001 and Hunayn is certain that the very troubles that once chased him around Lebanon have followed him to central Florida. In Rayyan Al-Shawaf’s debut novel “When all Else Fails,” protagonist Hunayn attempts to navigate life after the 9/11 terrorist attack that rocked the US. As an Iraqi, he fears his identity will cause him problems — and he is not wrong. He is Chaldean, however, and he often debates whether convincing those around him that he is like them — in other words, not a Muslim — will stop him from being harassed. It does not. The story takes tumbles and turns as the world changes shape around Hunayn. Born in Baghdad, Hunayn grows up in Abu Dhabi, Rome and Lebanon before he is accepted to the University of Central Florida. His identity and his foreignness have always played a part in his life, with some moments proving more tragic than others, but he has always moves forward. Following the September attack, however, the America he knows begins to transform to the extent that it nearly squeezes him out. Politics play a large role in Hunayn’s life, making and breaking his relationships with friends and lovers.