Far Away from Here

Far Away from Here is a novel about three young Black American Muslims on the cusp of adulthood confronting faith, tradition, and the impact of their personal decisions in five years post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans.

In New Orleans, it’s been five years since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the heart and soul of both the city and its residents. Three young Black Muslim friends have reconnected after drifting apart as teenagers: Fatima left with the floodwaters of Katrina following the murder of her childhood love and fiancé, Wakeel, and has now returned to reluctantly care for Wakeel’s mother. Tahani rebelled against a strict Muslim upbringing and feels stifled in her life as a single mother, trying to make ends meet while craving a creative outlet. And Saif, the cousin of Wakeel, must reconcile with Fatima over how his illicit past played a role in his cousin’s death.

All three struggle to envision a future for themselves that they can actively shape. A testament to the stories we tell ourselves and each other, Far Away From Here is a coming-of-age novel threaded with themes of community, tradition, faith, and the courage to own one’s narrative.

Ambata Kazi was born and raised in New Orleans, LA. She is a graduate of the University of New Orleans Creative Writing Workshop with a master of fine arts. Her short stories have been published in Carve, Muslim American Writers at Home, midnight & indigo, CRAFT, and other journals and anthologies. Far Away from Here is her first novel. She lives in Oakland, CA with her family.