We  had the opportunity to discuss some exciting news about a debut novel from Rania Hanna.

Born and raised in the Allentown area, Rania Hanna has combined her passion for writing with her Syrian heritage to create a magical adventure in her debut novel “The Jinn Daughter”.

Her novel combines mythology, magic, and ancient legend to tell a tale of a mother struggling to save her daughter.

Nadine is a jinn tasked with one job: telling the stories of the dead. She rises every morning to gather pomegranate seeds—the souls of the dead—that have fallen during the night. With her daughter Layala at her side, she eats the seeds and tells their stories. Only then can the departed pass through the final gate of death.

But when the seeds stop falling, Nadine knows something is terribly wrong. All her worst fears are confirmed when she is visited by Kamuna, Death herself and ruler of the underworld, who reveals her desire for someone to replace her: it is Layala she wants.

Nadine will do whatever it takes to keep her daughter safe, but Kamuna has little patience and a ruthless drive to get what she has come for. Layala’s fate, meanwhile, hangs in the balance.

Rooted in Middle Eastern mythology, Rania Hanna deftly weaves subtle, yet breathtaking, magic through this vivid and compelling story that has at its heart the universal human desire to, somehow, outmaneuver death.  from  https://aucpress.com

Phenomenal work from the debut author! The world building and relationships are vivid and heart-breaking. A beautiful lyrical read!  a reviewer on Goodreads.

Beautifully written — contains adventure, self-development, and character growth wrapped in beautiful lyrical writing that grabs you in from the first page. Can’t wait to read more by this author!! a reviewer on Goodreads

More raving reviews  for “The Jinn Daughter” can be found here https://www.goodreads.com

Just as exciting as her novel is our conversation with Rania about growing up in the Lehigh Valley, writing, and neuroscience! 

What area schools did you attend?
I went to Allentown Central Catholic High School (ACCHS). Amazing school and such a nurturing place. I had wonderful teachers there. I also went to Moravian University in Pa (majored in neuroscience) — also great and wonderful professors and I learned and explored so much during my time there.

What or who inspired you to be a writer? What was your inspiration for this book?
I always wanted to be a writer and a scientist, and now I’m both, which has been such a gift. Every book I’ve ever read has inspired me to be a writer. Much of my love of literature and writing comes from my father, who fed me a steady diet of Middle Eastern food and folklore. I draw from oral stories my dad passed on to me — some of the tales interwoven into the larger narrative of The Jinn Daughter I’ve drawn from stories he told me growing up.

My strongest inspiration for writing this book has been my Syrian heritage, a heritage I am proud of.

With studying neuroscience how do you find time to write?
It’s a balance. Writing is cathartic, which is a cliche thing for writers to say, but it’s true. There’s something magical about envisioning a world that does not exist, except in your mind, and bringing it to life on paper. Characters become people, imaginary places become locations on a map. As much as science is fulfilling for me and comes with its share of excitement, writing for me is as necessary as air and water. There are days, even weeks, where I can’t write because I’m working in the lab, but once I resurface, I need writing and the creativity behind it, so the time creates itself.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers back in the Lehigh Valley?

I’ve been writing since I was eight, starting with essays on dinosaurs and the ancient Egyptian mummification process. And I kept writing. When I was 21 and in college working on my research thesis and in the lab most days, I wrote the first book of my first series. And I kept writing. I wrote  sequels and trilogies, and never stopped.

This all culminated to what I have today: a debut novel, based on Middle Eastern folklore and fantasy. I couldn’t have done it without the years of writing, of throw-away novels, of scribbles in notebooks. The most useful advice for a writer, aspiring or otherwise, is to read, read, read. Read a variety of books, across genres, styles, cultures, and subject matter. Be curious, about people, about the world. You have to be curious and a knowledge-seeker to be a writer, because you can’t draw from an empty well. Live the life of the mind.

If readers of The Valley Ledger would like to pre-order a copy, The Jinn Daughter comes out April 2, 2024. 

They may pre-order a copy here: https://linktr.ee/rania_the_writer

Follow her on instagram to stay updated on other projects beyond The Jinn Daughter: https://www.instagram.com/rania_the_writer/ 

 

jt