Books like Guapa by Saleem Haddad

Set over the span of twenty‑four hours, Guapa chronicles the day‑to‑day reality of Rasa, a gay translator who works for Western journalists while longing to share a private night with his lover, Taymour. One night their intimacy is discovered by Rasa's grandmother, forcing him to flee home in shame. The next day he searches for Maj, his best friend, an activist and drag queen star of the underground bar also named Guapa, who has been arrested. In his frantic journey through the city’s slums, prisons, elite weddings, and clandestine bars, Rasa encounters a spectrum of society—from outcasts to intellectuals dreaming of revolution. Each new interaction draws him deeper into an introspection of his childhood, family secrets, and the innate alienation rooted in a culture that rejects him. As the political hope of his country collapses alongside his closest relationships, Rasa realizes he must confront his own identity, reclaim his sense of self, and attempt to re‑enter a society that may never embrace him.

First publish date: 2016