Travel and Family History Combine in This New Audiobook from Jordan Salama

Jordan Salama was raised in New York state in a family of Syrian Jewish ancestry. He didn’t pay too much attention to the family story as a youth and was most familiar (by way of his love for soccer) with the immediate family roots in Argentina, where his grandparents grew up before emigrating to the US.

One Thanksgiving while at his grandparent’s house he wandered alone to his grandfather’s office and discovered a binder full of writings. He began to read and soon became engrossed in the family stories his grandfather had put down on paper. In particular he became fascinated with a story that his great-grandfather, a traveling salesman in Argentina, had told, of where the family came from. Intriguing also was the possibility that, while traveling, his salesman great-grandfather may have left behind some other relatives no one in the family had ever met.

He wasn’t sure what to make of the binder - how personal it might be to his grandfather - so never mentioned that he had discovered it. But on subsequent visits he would find a reason to pull away from the rest of the family and further his reading, becoming more and more fascinated with the family stories.

Eventually his grandfather tells Jordan that he knows he’s reading his stories, and they begin to discuss family history, and the “Lost Salamas” - those possible long-ago offspring of his great-grandfather.

What follows, with encouragement from his grandfather, is the start of Jordan’s search for his roots. He searches genealogical websites and puts up one of his own. He writes to cousins and engages in online discussions with other Salamas. He discovers a worldwide family of Jews who left Syria starting with a series of troubles for Jews in the middle of the 19th century.

Then, with the encouragement of his grandfather, Jordan sets out on a quest to South America in search of his “lost” cousins. He begins with known family but then strikes out on his own traveling around Argentina gathering clues.

All of this, including how successful or not he is in finding those lost cousins, is laid out in this audiobook. Salama writes it all in beautiful prose and voices it with a depth of feeling that brings it to life - mixing travelogue and family history to deliver a fascinating narrative that goes far beyond the story of one family.

RATING: Five Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

RATING COMMENTS: My favorite book of the year so far. Anyone interested in family history, South American history, or the Arab Jewish diaspora will enjoy this story, as will anyone who likes a well written travel story.

WHERE I GOT MY COPY: I read an advanced review copy provided through NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing, the audiobook’s publisher. The Stranger in the Desert audiobook is available to the public starting next Wednesday, July 17, 2024.