First published 2027
Sara arrives at the Beach Hotel in Gaza with big ambitions and bigger blind spots. The four-star hotel serves as headquarters for international correspondents, complete with backup generators and room service, while war rages outside its walls. Hotel staff work around the clock to serve journalists even as bombs threaten their own families. Sara wants her breakout story, the kind that launches careers and wins awards. When her experienced fixer Nasser refuses to arrange the dangerous assignment she's convinced will make her famous, Sara turns to Fadi instead. He's the youngest son of a militant family, and he's willing to take risks Nasser won't. Sara's hunger for recognition drives her deeper into moral compromise. She tells herself the story matters more than the consequences, but her choices will bring catastrophe to the very people trying to help her. In this media circus where careers are built on others' suffering, Sara must confront what she's willing to sacrifice for success.
Genres: drama, literary-fiction, contemporary, adult-fiction, thriller, journalism
Vibes: dark, introspective, morally-complex, tense, thought-provoking
Tropes: consequences-of-ambition, mentor-betrayal, moral-descent, unreliable-protagonist
Setting: Gaza, Beach Hotel
Period: 21st-century, contemporary
288 pages · Paperback · Europa Editions
Content warnings: death, war