The Night is Not for You by Eman Quotah. Published by Run for it, 2025. (Arab/American/Horror) – 320 pages. 

We will meet to discuss the book online on Sunday, October 25 at 1 pm EDT/19:00 CET. 

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When her sense of safety is shattered, a young girl realizes she must become something untamable—even otherworldly—to find freedom, in this visceral coming-of-age horror.

A man’s body is found viciously murdered behind a neighborhood corner store, sending shockwaves through the tight-knit community. All the victim’s family and bystanders want is to make sense of this brutal crime and move on with their lives.

All seven-year-old Layla wants is a pet donkey. To her, a donkey is the epitome of freedom—the ability to think for herself, go anywhere by herself, and live an independent life.

The killings continue, and rumors fly of supposed hoofprints and a woman with hair like black silk. The ambiguous messages in lipstick and sweet smell of perfume at the crime scenes causes the men to suspect the women around them. As Layla’s world unravels, she realizes she must grow into the type of woman she’s always dreamed of becoming. A woman with sharp instincts. A woman who cannot be tamed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Eman Quotah’s debut novel, Bride of the Sea, won the Arab American Book Award for fiction. Her writing has appeared in the Washington Post, USA Today, and many other publications.