Susan Muaddi Darraj Books in Order

This biography introduces young readers to John F. Kennedy's presidency, including the Cuban Missile Crisis and the creation of the Peace Corps. It follows his public career through the assassination that ended his first term in office.

Darraj recounts the life of Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first African American professional nurse, and places her achievements within a wider history. The book follows the obstacles and contributions of Black nurses into the early twenty-first century.

This biography follows American-born Lisa Halaby's life and the marriage that made her Queen Noor of Jordan. Written for younger readers, it introduces the woman behind the royal title and the personal journey connecting her American background with Jordan.

Arab and Arab American women reflect on writing across cultures in this collection edited by Darraj. Essays and literary selections explore language, memory, politics and family, revealing how writers negotiate identity while addressing audiences whose experiences may differ from their own.

Bashar al-Assad trained for a medical career before deaths within his family placed him on a different path. This biography for young readers examines his movement into Syrian political life and the circumstances surrounding his succession to power.

This biography introduces Silvio Berlusconi as both a wealthy businessman and an Italian political leader. Written for young readers, it examines the figure whose extensive business interests accompanied his return to the prime minister's office in 2001.

This illustrated biography introduces the life and achievements of Gabriel García Márquez, the writer associated with One Hundred Years of Solitude. Written for younger readers, it presents his literary career as part of a series exploring Hispanic cultural figures.

Darraj follows Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams as they organize against the violence dividing Northern Ireland. Their joint biography places the peace movement within its historical setting and examines the work that brought them the Nobel Peace Prize.

Amy Tan leaves behind a successful but unsatisfying commercial-writing career to explore the experiences that matter most to her. This biography follows the emergence of her fiction and the family histories and cultural tensions behind The Joy Luck Club.

This biography examines Hosni Mubarak's rise to Egypt's presidency after Anwar Sadat's assassination. Set against the country's political history, it explores the opposition, regional conflicts and domestic pressures that shaped his rule during the period covered by the book.

This illustrated biography follows Jackie Robinson's entry into the Brooklyn Dodgers and his challenge to segregation in baseball. It examines his major-league achievements and the significance of a career that changed the sport's opportunities for Black players.

This illustrated biography explores Randy Johnson's childhood, family background and introduction to baseball. It follows the influences, achievements and setbacks shaping his career, using photographs and statistics to introduce younger readers to his life in the sport.

Four daughters of Palestinian immigrants grow up in South Philadelphia, negotiating friendships, family expectations and their sense of belonging. Their mothers' stories deepen these linked portraits, revealing the tensions and connections between generations living across Arab and American identities.

Born into a political family, Felipe Calderón eventually reaches the Mexican presidency after a fiercely contested election. Darraj traces his development alongside the country's changing party system, explaining the historical background and challenges surrounding his early years in office.

Oscar De La Hoya begins boxing as a shy child in East Los Angeles, encouraged by his father. This biography follows the training, determination and early victories that carry him toward championship success and a prominent place in professional boxing.

Growing up in poverty in Puerto Rico, Roberto Clemente finds a path through baseball to the Pittsburgh Pirates. This biography follows his athletic achievements, experiences of racism and humanitarian commitments, showing how his influence extended beyond the field.

This introduction examines the United Arab Emirates, tracing the formation of its seven-emirate federation and the changes associated with oil wealth. It considers the country's society, international relationships and large foreign workforce within the historical period covered by the book.

Anna Sui leaves suburban Detroit to pursue fashion in New York despite doubts about her chosen career. This biography traces the development of her distinctive designs and business, exploring how music, cultural influences and persistence helped shape her label.

Oscar de la Renta chooses art over his family's insurance business, then discovers fashion while studying in Madrid. This biography follows his progress from sketching designs for money to building a label serving prominent women around the world.

Darraj traces the Soviet Union's history toward its dissolution in 1991, examining the forces that weakened a global superpower. Stalin's rule, Chernobyl, Gorbachev's reforms and rivalry with Boris Yeltsin provide context for the emergence of a different Russia.

Linked stories follow generations of residents from a Palestinian village and their descendants abroad. As lives move between home and diaspora, memories, relationships and displacement connect people across time and geography while complicating what it means to belong.

Farah hopes to attend summer camp at her new school, but her family cannot afford it. She starts taking jobs and builds a tutoring business, then discovers someone is removing her advertisements and threatening the plans she has worked for.

While her little brother remains in hospital, Farah is sent to stay with her grandmother in Florida. Strict household rules and life in a retirement community initially frustrate her, but unexpected friendships offer comfort as she worries about her family.

Starting sixth grade at a new school is difficult enough before Farah's family home burns down. Burdened by guilt and living in temporary housing, she turns to writing and tries to persuade her science-focused school to support a creative-writing club.

Three Palestinian immigrant families build different lives in America, their relationships strained by class, tradition and generational conflict. Shifting viewpoints reveal the private consequences of these divisions as work, family obligations and closely guarded secrets bring their lives together.