Dust Settles North
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Product Details
Publisher: Bindery Books
Release Date: August 5, 2025
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook
ISBN: HC: 978-1-964721-17-0; PB: 978-1-964721-16-3; EB: 978-1-964721-18-7
Trim: 5.5 x 8.25
Page Count: 400
Deena ElGenaidi
It’s 2012, and post-revolution Egypt is sparking with political energy—but Hannah and Zain are numb.
The flight from New York to Cairo is long—longer still for two siblings on a journey to bury their mother. When they discover their father’s unforgivable betrayal, what’s left of their family crumbles.
Hannah gives up her spot at Columbia Law to remain in Egypt, where she navigates romantic entanglements and a new culture. Back in America, Zain’s self-destructive behavior begins to catch up with him, leaving him to wonder whether he’s any different from his father.
When the siblings reunite in Cairo months later, Zain is nearing rock bottom, and Hannah finds herself in the middle of the Arab Spring uprising. Together they confront shared secrets and reconcile their conservative upbringing with their new beliefs as adults. Will they heal together, or has the loss of their only bridge—their mother—set them permanently adrift?
A tender reflection on the effects of grief and loss, this deeply felt novel explores how siblings come together to mend a fractured family and, in the process, find themselves.
About the Author
Deena ElGenaidi writes about the arts, identity, and pop culture for a number of publications, including Nylon, MTV News, Oprah Magazine, Longreads, Catapult, Vulture, and more. She wrote, directed, and produced the award-winning comedy web series Codependent, she currently lives in Brooklyn with her cat, Sasha. Dust Settles North is her first novel.
Visit the author’s website at deenaelgenaidi.com and find the author on Instagram @deenaelg
About the Tastemaker
Jananie K. Velu is a Toronto-based content creator and marketer who raves about her favorite books on her channel thisstoryaintover with an audience of over 100K subscribers across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. As the founder of Boundless Press—an independent publishing imprint with Bindery Books—Jananie aims to uplift new voices and stories that reflect the beauty and flawed complexity of human nature.
Visit the tastemaker’s website at jananiekvelu.com, Join the Boundless Press community at boundless.binderybooks.com and follow the tastemaker @thisstoryaintover on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok