Towelhead (novel)

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Towelhead is a novel written by Alicia Erian and first published April 6, 2005.

The novel is about a thirteen-year-old girl coming of age. Physically developed for her age and looking slightly older, she doesn't understand how to deal with the effect she has on older men. Because of the reactions she invites in her American mother's boyfriend, her mother sends her from Syracuse, New York, to live with her Lebanese father in Houston, Texas, believing he will be a strong disciplining force in teaching her how to be more modest. Her father's stricter discipline, coming from a culture she has not grown up with and doesn't understand, only makes it more difficult to comprehend her surroundings, which include a bigoted Army reservist she is attracted to and an ironic liberal couple.

The film rights are owned by Alan Ball, who has written a screenplay and has directed it. The film is in post-production and includes actors Aaron Eckhart, Toni Collette, Maria Bello, Peter Macdissi, and the newcomer Summer Bishil, who plays the lead