Washes, Prays
Washes, Prays by Noor Naga is a novel-in-verse published by McClelland & Stewart on March 24, 2020. This 80-page work explores the complexities of a young woman’s romantic relationship with a married man, delving into her crisis of faith as she navigates her feelings and beliefs. The narrative follows Coocoo, an immigrant woman in Toronto, as she grapples with her loneliness and the challenges of her love for Muhammad, a married professor and father.
Readers will find a poignant exploration of love, faith, and identity throughout this verse-novel. The story captures Coocoo’s emotional journey, highlighting her struggles and the support of her best friend, Nouf. Themes of longing and contradiction are woven into the fabric of the narrative, prompting reflections on the nature of prayer and the complexities of love in difficult circumstances. This edition presents a unique blend of heartbreak and humor, inviting readers to engage with the deeper questions posed by Coocoo’s experiences.
Official synopsis Publisher
RBC Bronwen Wallace Award winner Noor Naga’s bracing debut, a novel-in-verse about a young woman’s romantic relationship with a married man and her ensuing crisis of faith.
2021 Arab American Book Award – George Ellenbogen Poetry Award, Winner
Pat Lowther Memorial Award, Winner
Gerald Lampert Memorial Award, Longlist
Fred Cogswell Award For Excellence In Poetry, Second Place Winner
CBC Best Canadian Poetry of 2020
Coocoo is a young immigrant woman in Toronto. Her faith is worn threadbare after years of bargaining with God to end her loneliness and receiving no answer. Then she meets her mirror-image; Muhammad is a professor and father of two. He’s also married.
Heartbreaking and hilarious, this verse-novel chronicles Coocoo’s spiraling descent: the transformation of her love into something at first desperate and obsessive, then finally cringing and animal, utterly without grace. Her best friend, Nouf, remains by her side throughout, and together they face the growing contradictions of Coocoo’s life. What does it mean to pray while giving your body to a man who cannot keep it? How long can a homeless love survive on the streets? These are some of the questions this verse-novel swishes around in its mouth.
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