Fencing with the King is a fascinating story of Amani, a young Jordanian-American poet exploring her Jordanian roots. She has found a poem that appears to have been written by her paternal grandmother in one of her father’s old books. On the occasion of King Hussein’s sixtieth birthday, Amani’s father, a cabinetmaker in the United States, is invited to return to Jordan after nearly four decades away so he and the King can fence as they did in their youth. Amani accompanies her father and becomes fascinated with her family history and the mystery of the poem. In Jordan, she encounters family secrets and relatives she’s never met—who may not wish the best for her. This is a book that balances greed, corruption, and deceit with self discovery amidst an extravagant royal birthday celebration. I enjoyed the overlay of political and cultural events, just enough to enhance the flavor of the story.
In neat, lyrical prose, Abu-Jaber details the rituals of inheritance, the trauma of refugees and other displaced individuals, and letting go of the past to move forward. There are shades of Arthurian legend in that the family’s heirloom knife, Il Saif, reported to be a knife used by Mohammed, is one of those inheritance rituals that goes astray.
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Fencing with the King (W. W. Norton & Company, March 14, 2023) is available through:
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