{"id":848690,"date":"2026-05-16T20:23:06","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T18:23:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dailynewsegypt.com\/?p=848690"},"modified":"2026-05-16T20:23:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T18:23:06","slug":"new-graphic-novel-landing-in-place-explores-egyptian-american-identity-amidst-global-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dailynewsegypt.com\/2026\/05\/16\/new-graphic-novel-landing-in-place-explores-egyptian-american-identity-amidst-global-history\/","title":{"rendered":"New Graphic Novel &#8220;Landing in Place&#8221; Explores Egyptian American Identity Amidst Global History"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"model-response-message-contentr_ac7fec6e03e44c79\" class=\"markdown markdown-main-panel stronger enable-updated-hr-color\" dir=\"ltr\" aria-live=\"polite\" aria-busy=\"false\">\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"1\">\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"p-rc_360d37cd6a1a34a8-31\" data-path-to-node=\"4\"><span data-path-to-node=\"4,0\"><span class=\"citation-70\">On May 19, 2026, the Penguin Random House imprint Kokila will publish &#8220;Landing in Place: A Graphic Novel,&#8221; a coming-of-age story exploring an Egyptian American girl&#8217;s search for identity across her college experiences, family life, and the wider world<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"4,2\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"p-rc_360d37cd6a1a34a8-32\" data-path-to-node=\"5\"><span data-path-to-node=\"5,1\"><span class=\"citation-69\">The young adult novel, which the publisher described as &#8220;poignant,&#8221; is the work of what it called a &#8220;powerhouse author-illustrator duo&#8221;: author Sherine Hamdy and illustrator Myra El Mir<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"5,3\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"5,5\"><span class=\"citation-68\">Billed as an update to modern classics such as &#8220;Persepolis&#8221; and Tahereh Mafi&#8217;s &#8220;A Very Large Expanse of Sea,&#8221; the book illustrates how &#8220;the political is personal&#8221;<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"5,7\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"5,9\"><span class=\"citation-67\">It weaves an Egyptian American family&#8217;s narrative with global historical events, spanning the 1956 Suez crisis, the 2011 Arab Spring protests in Cairo&#8217;s Tahrir Square, and contemporary protests for Palestinian rights<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"5,11\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_848692\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-848692\" style=\"width: 899px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-848692\" src=\"https:\/\/images.dailynewsegypt.com\/2026\/05\/SherineHamdy_credit-Christopher-Todds-Studio--899x720.jpg\" alt=\"Author Sherine Hamdy\" width=\"899\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.dailynewsegypt.com\/2026\/05\/SherineHamdy_credit-Christopher-Todds-Studio--768x615.jpg 768w, https:\/\/images.dailynewsegypt.com\/2026\/05\/SherineHamdy_credit-Christopher-Todds-Studio--1536x1230.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/images.dailynewsegypt.com\/2026\/05\/SherineHamdy_credit-Christopher-Todds-Studio--2048x1640.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 899px) 100vw, 899px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-848692\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Author Sherine Hamdy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"p-rc_360d37cd6a1a34a8-33\" data-path-to-node=\"6\"><span data-path-to-node=\"6,1\"><span class=\"citation-66\"><span class=\"citation-70\">Landing in Place<\/span> narrative centres on Anisa, a university freshman attempting to follow in her sister Reem\u2019s footsteps at her alma mater<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"6,3\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"6,5\"><span class=\"citation-65\">Anisa is on the same pre-medical track and has inherited her sister&#8217;s old textbooks, mini-fridge, and hotpot<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"6,7\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"6,9\"><span class=\"citation-64\">Despite her preference for studying art, her parents discount the field as a valid career choice<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"6,11\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"6,13\"><span class=\"citation-63\">As her prescribed path crumbles, Anisa feels she does not belong among her organic chemistry classmates or the other Muslim students on campus<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"6,15\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"p-rc_360d37cd6a1a34a8-34\" data-path-to-node=\"7\"><span data-path-to-node=\"7,1\"><span class=\"citation-62\">After failing her first semester, Anisa begs her parents for time off to visit Cairo and stay with her &#8220;beloved grandfather&#8221;<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"7,3\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"7,5\"><span class=\"citation-61\">The trip provides her with the freedom to have her own experiences, prompting a journey of self-discovery where she begins to develop her artistic voice while confronting familial, societal, and religious expectations<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"7,7\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"7,9\"><span class=\"citation-60\">Upon returning to the United States, she finds that many of these expectations have shifted, but learns to rely on the love of friends and family\u2014even those she is frequently at odds with\u2014to remain true to herself<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"7,11\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"p-rc_360d37cd6a1a34a8-35\" data-path-to-node=\"8\"><span data-path-to-node=\"8,1\"><span class=\"citation-59\">Hamdy noted that the project originated in 2013 as a &#8220;snarky manuscript&#8221; titled &#8220;Hijabville,&#8221; which was based on her &#8220;annoyed experiences wearing hijab in my early adulthood&#8221;<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"8,3\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"8,5\"><span class=\"citation-58\">In early drafts, the hijabi character, Anisa, never spoke, with others constantly projecting assumptions onto her<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"8,7\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"p-rc_360d37cd6a1a34a8-36\" data-path-to-node=\"9\"><span data-path-to-node=\"9,1\"><span class=\"citation-57\">&#8220;When I decided to give Anisa her voice, I had to trade snark for sincerity,&#8221; Hamdy stated<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"9,3\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"9,5\"><span class=\"citation-56\">&#8220;The result was LANDING IN PLACE \u2013 a story that celebrates the beauty in Muslim cultures and hijab instead of rebelling against them&#8221;<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"9,7\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"9,9\"><span class=\"citation-55\">Through the protagonist&#8217;s journey, Hamdy hopes readers will feel empowered &#8220;to discover the hidden historical and political traumas that inform their own families, as well as the important link between foreign intervention, neocolonialism, migration, and diaspora&#8221;<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"9,11\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"p-rc_360d37cd6a1a34a8-37\" data-path-to-node=\"10\"><span data-path-to-node=\"10,1\"><span class=\"citation-54\">Hamdy is a medical anthropologist teaching courses on Middle East culture, comics, and literary anthropology at the University of California, Irvine<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"10,3\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"10,5\"><span class=\"citation-53\">She is the author of &#8220;Our Bodies Belong to God,&#8221; the co-creator of the graphic novel &#8220;Lissa,&#8221; and co-editor of the academic series ethnoGRAPHIC for the University of Toronto Press, which publishes works integrating comics and ethnography<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"10,7\">. Born in New York to Egyptian parents, Hamdy grew up in Port-au-Prince, Haiti; <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"10,9\"><span class=\"citation-52\">Bamako, Mali; and Mexico City, Mexico, and currently resides in Irvine, California, with her husband and two daughters<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"10,11\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_848691\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-848691\" style=\"width: 563px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-848691\" src=\"https:\/\/images.dailynewsegypt.com\/2026\/05\/Myra-El-Mir_headshot_credit-Sarah-Zino-563x720.jpg\" alt=\"illustrator Myra El Mir\" width=\"563\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.dailynewsegypt.com\/2026\/05\/Myra-El-Mir_headshot_credit-Sarah-Zino-563x720.jpg 563w, https:\/\/images.dailynewsegypt.com\/2026\/05\/Myra-El-Mir_headshot_credit-Sarah-Zino-768x981.jpg 768w, https:\/\/images.dailynewsegypt.com\/2026\/05\/Myra-El-Mir_headshot_credit-Sarah-Zino-1202x1536.jpg 1202w, https:\/\/images.dailynewsegypt.com\/2026\/05\/Myra-El-Mir_headshot_credit-Sarah-Zino-1603x2048.jpg 1603w, https:\/\/images.dailynewsegypt.com\/2026\/05\/Myra-El-Mir_headshot_credit-Sarah-Zino-860x1099.jpg 860w, https:\/\/images.dailynewsegypt.com\/2026\/05\/Myra-El-Mir_headshot_credit-Sarah-Zino-1536x1963.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/images.dailynewsegypt.com\/2026\/05\/Myra-El-Mir_headshot_credit-Sarah-Zino.jpg 1865w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 563px) 100vw, 563px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-848691\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">illustrator Myra El Mir<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"p-rc_360d37cd6a1a34a8-38\" data-path-to-node=\"11\"><span data-path-to-node=\"11,1\"><span class=\"citation-51\">El Mir is an illustrator who tells stories through comics, picture books, and activist posters<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"11,3\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"11,5\"><span class=\"citation-50\">She grew up in Batha, Lebanon, where she studied fine arts and gender studies<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"11,7\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"11,9\"><span class=\"citation-49\">El Mir is a co-founder of Research by Comics\u2014an initiative bringing scholars and artists together\u2014and of Space 27, a former artists&#8217; community house in Beirut<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"11,11\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"11,13\"><span class=\"citation-48\">She lives with her dog, Jeanie, and cat, Fara<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"11,15\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"p-rc_360d37cd6a1a34a8-39\" data-path-to-node=\"12\"><span data-path-to-node=\"12,1\"><span class=\"citation-47\">Targeted at readers aged 12 and older, the title will be released in paperback (ISBN 9780735229457) for $17.99 and as an ebook (ISBN 9780735229464) for $10.99<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"12,3\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"12,5\"><span class=\"citation-46\">Promotional materials indicate that readers can &#8220;download high-res images and start reading here&#8221;<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"12,7\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"p-rc_360d37cd6a1a34a8-40\" data-path-to-node=\"13\"><span data-path-to-node=\"13,1\"><span class=\"citation-45\">The book has garnered starred reviews from trade publications, with Kirkus Reviews describing it as a &#8220;measured, thoughtful, and complex coming-of-age story,&#8221; Booklist calling it &#8220;refreshing, timely, and well-developed,&#8221; and School Library Journal noting it is &#8220;a riveting read&#8221;<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"13,3\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"13,5\"><span class=\"citation-44\">Additional praise included a review from Hijabi Librarians, who stated the book &#8220;presents a thoughtful, generous account of learning to live with a changing self in an everchanging world, affirming personal growth as continuous and ongoing&#8221; for all readers<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"13,7\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"13,9\"><span class=\"citation-43\">The outlet Scary Mommy called the work &#8220;gorgeous,&#8221; while Huda Fahmy, author of the National Book Award Finalist &#8220;Huda F Cares?&#8221;, described the novel as &#8220;deeply emotional and powerful&#8221;<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"13,11\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"p-rc_360d37cd6a1a34a8-41\" data-path-to-node=\"14\"><span data-path-to-node=\"14,1\"><span class=\"citation-42\">Kokila&#8217;s parent company, Penguin Random House, is the world&#8217;s largest trade book publisher, with a stated mission of &#8220;nourishing a universal passion for reading by connecting authors and their writing with readers everywhere&#8221;<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"14,3\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"14,5\"><span class=\"citation-41\">Formed on July 1, 2013, by Pearson and Bertelsmann, the company has been fully owned by Bertelsmann since April 1, 2020<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"14,7\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"14,9\"><span class=\"citation-40\">Operating more than 300 brands and imprints across six continents, the publisher comprises adult and children&#8217;s fiction and nonfiction trade publishing businesses in English, German, and Spanish across more than 20 countries<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"14,11\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"14,13\"><span class=\"citation-39\">It employs over 10,000 people globally and sells more than 600m print, audio, and eBooks annually, releasing over 15,000 new titles per year<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"14,15\">. <\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"14,17\"><span class=\"citation-38\">Its publishing lists feature hundreds of widely read authors and more than 80 Nobel Prize laureates<\/span><\/span><span data-path-to-node=\"14,19\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"source-inline-chip-container ng-star-inserted\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On May 19, 2026, the Penguin Random House imprint Kokila will publish &#8220;Landing in Place: A Graphic Novel,&#8221; a coming-of-age story exploring an Egyptian American girl&#8217;s search for identity across her college experiences, family life, and the wider world. The young adult novel, which the publisher described as &#8220;poignant,&#8221; is the work of what it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":848693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34194],"tags":[],"tmauthors":[79795],"coauthors":[70937],"class_list":["post-848690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-culture"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynewsegypt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynewsegypt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynewsegypt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynewsegypt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynewsegypt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=848690"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynewsegypt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":848694,"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynewsegypt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848690\/revisions\/848694"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynewsegypt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/848693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynewsegypt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=848690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynewsegypt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=848690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynewsegypt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=848690"},{"taxonomy":"tmauthors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynewsegypt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tmauthors?post=848690"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynewsegypt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=848690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}