Dearborn: Stories

In his debut short story collection, Zeineddine provides a glimpse of the Arab American community in Dearborn, MI. Zeineddine describes Dearborn as a city populated by a staggering variety of residents—immigrants, refugees, and second- and third-generation Lebanese Americans, many of whom contend with generational trauma. These stories are peopled with individuals who sometimes cling to and sometimes shed the traditional roles they have been assigned. Listeners will encounter a father hiding money in frozen chicken carcasses, actors trying to make it big in Hollywood, and families trying to evade ICE. The delightful “Speedoman” features a Speedo-wearing swimmer who makes waves at the community pool. While some stories are witty and entertaining, others are grim, including the final story, “Rabbit Stew,” which evokes a visceral reaction that some listeners may find difficult to process. Sarab Kamoo and Qarie Marshall alternate in narrating the stories, ably embodying different accents and tones, including Midwestern accents for the city’s younger residents.