Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

MeToo, the attacks on the World Trade Centre, police brutality make an appearance in this timely, contemporary collection of short stories, which explores feelings of isolation, marginalisation and victimisation that stem from social and cultural difference. Disappearance was a standout story for me, others were less captivating but intriguing nonetheless. I’m interested to read what the author goes on to do next.

3.5/5

This had a really strong start. 'Ghusl' had me crying with its intricacies and beautiful detailing. I generally liked most of the stories. However, as with most anthologies I read, I lost interest in the title story, 'Alligator'. It had an important discussion and message, used real newspaper clippings and stories in a different format. However, aside from one story after this that focused on 9/11, I lost interest. That being said, Alzayat has such an amazing talent in her ability to tell a story as though she's weaving a tapestry meant for royalty. I appreciated the representation within it and think this can be classed as an Own Voices anthology.

Trigger warnings: suicide, death, adultery, physical abuse, suffering a stroke, forced marriage, kidnapping, rape, police brutality, racism.

Thank you to Picador Macmillan and Netgalley for giving me a e-copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Syrian writer Dima Alzayat was born in Damascus and grew up in California. Alligator and Other Stories comprises nine stories all of which explore the theme of immigration in one form or another. These are stories of family and dislocation, otherness and racism, often told through recollections in quietly understated, sometimes poetic language. Many are about women whose strength and resilience see them through the challenges that loss and standing outside the mainstream of society presents. This is an enjoyable collection, both hopeful and poignant. Just one piece was problematic for me. The titular Alligator is a lengthy jigsaw of a story made up of newspaper cuttings, interviews, emails and fragments of narrative which explores racism hung on the hook of the killings of an American-Syrian couple by a corrupt police force and its reverberation through the generations. I think I would have got on with this particular story better had I read it in print form but read digitally it felt somewhat incoherent.

This was an interesting collection. I think that some of the shorter stories were handled better than the longer ones. I liked the writing overall as it was written well and I would pick up a longer and more explored book by the same author.