A Mouth Full of Salt

The Nile brought them life, but the Nile was not their friend.

A small farming village in North Sudan wakes up one morning to the news that a little boy has drowned. Soon after, the animals die of a mysterious illness and the date gardens catch fire and burn to the ground. Whispers ripple through the village, sharing a secret that has been buried for a generation.

Sixteen-year-old Fatima is impatient. Will the search for the little boy’s body unearth the past her village is trying so hard to bury? In Khartoum, a single mother makes her way in a world that wants to keep women back. As civil war swells, her position in the capital becomes untenable. She must return, to face both the villagers and the river that have given and taken so much away from her.

A Mouth Full of Salt uncovers a country on the brink of seismic change as its women decide for themselves which traditions are fit for purpose – and which prophecies it’s time to rewrite.

'Lively and engaging …Gaafar’s village characters are vivid and skilfully drawn … A Mouth Full of Salt gives up its secrets slowly, a trait that only enhances the reading pleasure of this intricate jewel of a novel.’ --New Internationalist ‘An impressive debut from a writer with plenty to say. A lean, lithe exposure of hatred and hardship, cruelty and retribution, community secrets and the stark otherworldly power of motherhood. I was gripped until the very last sentence.’ -- Leila Aboulela, author of River Spirit ‘Insightful, elegant and compelling, with a profound sense of place. Gaafar shows brilliance in the ways she weaves destinies together and shares truths like all the best fiction writers.’ -- Karen Jennings, author of Crooked Seeds ‘This beautiful novel tells the story of all of Sudan – its rituals, joys and sorrows, full and dry nights, stability and displacements.’ -- Amir Tag Elsir, author of The Grub Hunter ‘A riveting novel that vividly brings alive the vibrations of village life and serves as an insightful mirror into the colourful riches and complexities of the Sudan. This story is so grippingly told, it is hard to believe that this is Gaafar’s first book.’ -- Francis Deng, author of Cry of the Owl ‘A vivid, beautifully written and transportive read. Gaafar's powerful female characters show how women dealt the weakest hands claim small victories through tenacity and strength of spirit. I loved it.’ -- Rosalind Russell, author of The End of Where We Begin ‘A deftly woven and compelling story of kinship and betrayal. Gaafar's wondrous novel keenly confronts the role of the individual in the umbra of familial obligations.’ -- Nehal El-Hadi ‘Sudan-set A Mouth Full of Salt shows how political decisions inform our personal choices, transporting us to an unique time and place that is little understood. The Nile in all its complex, chaotic energy continues to beckon long after the final page'’ --BookBrunch ‘I found this novel and its many strands utterly compelling; it is a quietly devastating tale that leads the reader towards the inevitable conclusion that, where there is injustice, sooner or later the balance must be restored.’ --Reads and Reveries ‘A stunning, powerful story of a community in the north of Sudan, struck by calamity and loss … Reem explores so much in this novel, including motherhood, the power of education, othering, community structures, tribalism and so much more.’ --The Diverse Bookshelf Podcast 'A Mouth Full of Salt skillfully recounts the nuanced history of two countries that were divided long before they had any say in the matter. Gaafar approaches this narrative with compassion, confronting uncomfortable truths head-on.' --The New Arab ‘Gaafar tells the intertwined stories of three women who are confronted with injustice. A conversation about responsible writing, role models and the forgotten war in Sudan.’ --Qantara ‘Compelling … Gaafar’s medical and scientific training contribute to the novel’s remarkably organic descriptions, as well as some of the themes that Gaafar addresses – whether they have to do with women’s health issues, or the clash between science and tradition.’ --The Africa Report ‘Gaafar is a gifted and skilful storyteller. A stylish and wrenching debut set on the emotional fault line between north and south Sudan.’ -- Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, author of My Parents’ Marriage

Reem Gaafar is a writer, physician and filmmaker. Her writing has appeared in African Arguments, African Feminism, Teakisi Magazine, Andariya and 500 Words Magazine, among others. Her short story ‘Light of the Desert’ was published in I Know Two Sudans (Gipping Press UK, 2014) where it was awarded an Honourable Mention. Her short story ‘Finding Descartes’ was published in Relations: An Anthology of African and Diaspora Voices (HarperVia, 2023). A Mouth Full of Salt is her debut novel and Winner of the Island Prize 2023.