A Mouth Full of Salt

Winner of The Island Prize 2023 | #1 Indie Bookshop Bestseller | A Shelterbox Book Club selection


The Nile brought them life, but the Nile was not their friend.

When a little boy drowns in the treacherous currents of the Nile, the search for his body unearths calamity and disaster, and exposes forgotten secrets buried for generations in a small northern Sudanese village.

Three women try to make their way through a world that wants to keep them back, separated from each other by time but bound together by the same river that weaves its way through their lives, giving little but taking much more.

A Mouth Full of Salt uncovers a country on the brink of seismic change as its women decide for themselves which traditions are fit for purpose – and which prophecies it's time to rewrite.

‘Lively and engaging …Gaafar’s village characters are vivid and skilfully drawn … A Mouth Full of Salt gives up its secrets slowly, a trait that only enhances the reading pleasure of this intricate jewel of a novel.’
New Internationalist

‘A Mouth Full of Salt skillfully recounts the nuanced history of two countries that were divided long before they had any say in the matter. Gaafar approaches this narrative with compassion, confronting uncomfortable truths head-on.’
The New Arab

‘Compelling … Gaafar’s medical and scientific training contribute to the novel’s remarkably organic descriptions, as well as some of the themes that Gaafar addresses – whether they have to do with women’s health issues, or the clash between science and tradition.’
The Africa Report

‘Gaafar tells the intertwined stories of three women who are confronted with injustice. A conversation about responsible writing, role models and the forgotten war in Sudan.’
Qantara

‘A riveting debut novel .. A Mouth Full of Salt captivates from the first line with its intoxicating mix of high intrigue, socio-political commentary and (post)colonial history.’
Afropean Magazine

‘A stunning, powerful story of a community in the north of Sudan, struck by calamity and loss.’
Samia Aziz

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