Hiam

A young boy, Hiam, flees war-torn Lebanon as an asylum seeker and arrives alone in Australia to live with his uncle's family in Adelaide. He carries both physical and emotional scars from his journey across the world. Hiam must navigate a new culture, language and family dynamics while processing the trauma of his past. His aunt and cousins attempt to help him adjust, but cultural barriers and unspoken histories create tension in the household. Shifting between past and present, the narrative reveals fragments of Hiam's life in Lebanon and his dangerous journey to Australia. The story takes place over one intense summer as Hiam tries to find his place in an unfamiliar world. The novel explores themes of displacement, cultural identity and the lasting impacts of war through the perspective of a child. Through Hiam's experiences, the reader encounters questions about belonging, family bonds and the complex nature of healing from trauma.

Readers consistently point to the stark beauty of Hornung's prose and her unflinching portrayal of homelessness in Moscow. Many note the vivid descriptions of winter survival and the authentic depiction of pack dynamics between dogs and humans. The strongest praise focuses on the emotional depth of relationships between characters. One reader described it as "raw yet tender, like an exposed nerve." Multiple reviews highlight the unique perspective of telling parts of the story through a dog's point of view. Common criticisms include the slow pacing in the middle sections and what some readers felt was an unnecessarily bleak tone throughout. Several reviews mentioned difficulty with the graphic depictions of violence and suffering. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (284 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (31 ratings) LibraryThing: 4.0/5 (52 ratings) The book won more critical acclaim than commercial success, with relatively low review counts across platforms but consistently positive scores from those who read it.

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🌟 Eva Hornung previously wrote under the name Eva Sallis, winning the Australian/Vogel Literary Award for her debut novel Hiam in 1997 🌟 The book explores the journey of an Arab Muslim woman driving across the Australian desert, drawing deeply on the author's extensive knowledge of Arabic language and culture 🌟 Hornung spent several years living and studying in the Middle East, including time at the University of Jordan, which informed her authentic portrayal of the protagonist's cultural perspective 🌟 The title "Hiam" is an Arabic name meaning "to wander" or "to roam," reflecting both the physical and emotional journey of the main character 🌟 The novel tackles themes of displacement and cultural identity at a time when discussions about Arab-Australian relations were rarely featured in mainstream Australian literature