Anthologies#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Ploughshares Fall 1990 |
1990 |
Buy |
| Mixed: An Anthology of Short Fiction on the Multiracial Experience |
2006 |
Buy |
| Blue Christmas |
2011 |
Buy |
| Eat Joy |
2019 |
Buy |
Children’s#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Silverworld |
2020 |
Buy |
Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Language of Baklava: A Memoir |
2005 |
Buy |
| Delivering a Public Speech: Learning the Process of Mass Addressing |
2014 |
Buy |
| Life Without a Recipe |
2016 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Arabian Jazz |
1993 |
Buy |
| Crescent |
2003 |
Buy |
| Origin |
2007 |
Buy |
| Birds of Paradise |
2011 |
Buy |
| Fencing with the King |
2022 |
Buy |
Diana Abu-Jaber is an American author whose work draws heavily on her Jordanian-American heritage. Born in Syracuse, New York, she spent part of her childhood in Jordan, and that dual cultural experience runs through much of her fiction and nonfiction. Her first novel, Arabian Jazz (1993), is often cited as one of the first mainstream Arab-American novels and won the Oregon Book Award.
Her second novel, Crescent (2003), won both the PEN Center Award for Literary Fiction and the Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award. Set in Los Angeles, it tells a love story between an Iraqi-American chef and an Iraqi exile, with food serving as a central metaphor throughout the narrative. Abu-Jaber continued exploring the connections between food, memory, and identity in her memoirs The Language of Baklava (2005) and Life Without a Recipe (2016). Her other novels include Origin (2007), a thriller, and Birds of Paradise (2011), set in Miami. She has also written a children’s book, Silverworld (2020).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Diana Abu-Jaber written?
Diana Abu-Jaber has written thirteen books across four series.
What was Diana Abu-Jaber's first book?
Diana Abu-Jaber’s first book is Ploughshares Fall 1990, published in 1990.
What themes does Diana Abu-Jaber explore in her writing?
Abu-Jaber’s work frequently examines the Arab-American experience, cultural identity, family dynamics, and the role of food in connecting people to their heritage. Her novels and memoirs draw on her own background growing up with a Jordanian father and American mother.