A Cross-Genre Novel Examining Language, Power, and Identity in Times of Conflict.
Author, editor, and translator Ahmed Alshuwaikhat has recently announced the release of the second edition of his latest publication, The American Translator: From San Francisco to Battlefields in Iraq. Alshuwaikhat’s mystery novel was named a finalist in the 2025 Independent Authors Network (IAN) Book Awards and has been long-listed for the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel in 2023 under its Arabic title, The American Who Reads Gilgamesh.
This poignant novel traces the haunting journey of the extraordinary American, David Boccaccio, of Italian descent, born and bred in San Francisco. Driven by a deep curiosity about cultures and ancient history, David joins the U.S. Army as a translator and is deployed to Iraq, where the power of language becomes both a means of survival and a moral minefield. As his experiences unfold, David finds himself entangled in a series of ethical dilemmas that leave a permanent imprint on his soul.
More than a retelling of a modern war, The American Translator bridges ancient epics and contemporary battlefields. Ahmed’s novel is a blended-genre fusing psychological fiction, suspense thriller, psychological thriller, history, mystery, self-discovery, cross-cultural conflict, translation, identity, adventure, East-West connection, and multiculturalism in a global grand narrative with unexpected twists. This is intricately woven with relevance to the geopolitics of what is taking place nowadays, work-wide.
The novel steps in where language is a battleground. U.S. Army translator David Boccaccio’s haunting journey through San Francisco, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and ancient Mesopotamia ignites urgent and perpetual questions about family, self, others, identity, conflict, and survival. The American Translator forces the reader to confront pressing issues of identity, morality, and the impact of war. The author’s language is one of contested space, which affects power, truth, and survival.
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One reviewer writes, “Alshuwaikhat’s storytelling prowess shines through as he navigates diverse cultures and landscapes, creating a cosmopolitan tapestry that transcends traditional boundaries. His novel is a call for peace, weaving together action, mystery, and the poignant stories of ordinary people facing atrocities during the war. As I journeyed through its pages, I felt a deep connection with the characters and a profound sense of shared humanity.”
The American Translator: From San Francisco to Battlefields in Iraq by Ahmed Alshuwaikhat follows his acclaimed Arabic literary fiction of mixed genre novels, including Pomegranates Streams (2002), The American Who Read Gilgamesh (long-listed for the Katara Prize, 2023), and Sea of Libra (2024). Through a deeply cross-cultural lens, Alshuwaikhat explores themes of identity, transformation, resilience, and alienation.
The American Translator: From San Francisco to Battlefields in Iraq is now available worldwide in paperback and Kindle formats on Amazon. For more information on Ahmed Alshuwaikhat or his self-discovery and personal growth books, please see the contact details below.
About the Author: Ahmed Alshuwaikhat
Ahmed Alshuwaikhat is a cross-cultural author hailing from Saudi Arabia. He holds a PhD from Stanford University, USA, and writes about the mixing of reality and imagination and about cultural issues of change, conflict, and alienation.
Contact Details:
Business: Book Publishing, blended literary fiction
Contact Name: Ahmed Alshuwaikhat
Contact Email: [email protected]
Website: https://ahmedalshuwaikhat.com/
Country: United States
