The novel is published in the United States, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Britain, Germany, Lithuania, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Nominations

Shortlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award 2008, the Waverton Good Read Award 2009, the Desmond Elliott Prize 2009.
Longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award 2010. 
Nathalie Abi-Ezzi was selected for the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s 2009 New Voices list.

Reviews

. The Christian Science Monitor (US), by Marjorie Kebe, “[A] powerful, poetic debut... Both graceful and wise, A Girl Made of Dust is a simple narrative that lets the pure vision of childhood speak for itself... [and] makes a reader wonder: If more Ruba found their voice, might there not be less war?” 
. The Guardian, by Catherine Taylor. "A subtle, pertinent depiction of civilian life in the midst of bewildering conflict"
. Book Browse readers reviews (US). "(...) it is a poignant novel, but the author manages to finish the novel with a hopeful ending showing us how resilient young people can be. Overall, a memorable book that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend." Janne V, Greenville, SC, United States.
. Words Without Borders, by Emma Garman. "Nathalie Abi-Ezzi's exquisitely affecting debut novel, A Girl Made of Dust, not only conjures a fully-realized and vividly-populated world via the perspective of an eight-year-old girl, but adroitly plays on her ingenuousness to subtly convey its themes, namely the senselessness of religious conflict and the elusive importance of responsibility and forgiveness."
. Boston.com (US), Author’s life in Lebanon infuses ‘A Girl Made of Dust’. "(...) the author creates a sensuous, almost dreamlike evocation of a child’s perceptions, innocent and inquisitive, of a familiar setting misshapen by ancient prejudice and the approaching horror of war."
. Socialist Review, by Ingrid Lamprecht. "The storyline unfolds from a child's perspective - in Ruba's world the war happens all around her while she plays, looking for treasures in the forest, without her paying too much attention to it all - which makes the plot unnervingly real and gripping."
. Good Reads. "This is a first novel with tremendous heart, which captures both a country and a childhood in turmoil." Includes 136 reviews from readers.
. Eve's Alexandria website, by Victoria. "Throughout Nathalie Abi-Ezzi writes within a strict emotional register, which makes for prose passages and dialogue stunning in their restraint"
. Honorable Mention as Best Historical Fiction 2009, Barnes & Nobles.

Other reviews

"I adored A Girl Made of Dust...I could not put it down - It was at once tender and tragic...one of those books you can't help but think about long after you finish." Patricia Wood, author of Lottery, short listed for 2008 Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction

"Her well-crafted first novel offers a moving insight into a brutal conflict." Melissa McClements, Financial Times
"(...) this moving portrait achieves a dark poetry." Kirkus Reviews

“In her affecting and assured first novel, Nathalie Abi-Ezzi lyrically evokes village life in rural Lebanon during civil war.” Anna Mundow, Boston Globe

“Subtle and unique.” Mary-Liz Shaw, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“A testimony to survival.” Rebecca Starford, The Australian

“Beautifully written, lyrical, with vivid, sensual descriptions that are sophisticated yet completely believable as experienced and retained by a child.” Publishers Weekly

“Abi-Ezzi deftly tells this story through Ruba’s eyes, allowing the reader to experience her loss of innocence as she learns of the complexities of the world. Highly recommended.” Library Journal 

“Vivid and unflinching, A Girl Made of Dust portrays the deterioration of a family and a war-torn town from the perspective of a candidly charming and astute eight-year-old girl. Nathalie Abi-Ezzi’s prose is evocative, radiant and lyrical. This poignant and gripping debut virtually crackles with urgency and compassion.” Kiara Brinkman, author of Up High in the Trees

“[A] haunting story that raises elemental global issues that are part of headlines today.” Hazel Rochman, Booklist

“A timely evocation of civilian suffering underneath the ubiquities of war, A Girl Made of Dust is, at its heart, a story of growing up and the terrifying things we have no names for in our childishness. . . . Abi-Ezzi portrays [Ruba's] awakening to the cruelties of life as both heartbreaking and profound, successfully eluding the clichés associated with the coming-of-age novel while simultaneously generously enriching its vocabulary.” Val Nolan, The Sunday Business Post (Ireland)

“Abi-Ezzi's endeavour for perfection is as clear as the presence of her exceptional talent. She describes the world of her characters with a sharp eye for the slightest detail.” Jad El Hage, Al-Hayat

“A Girl Made of Dust reflects the pain that haunts many Lebanese emigrants attached to the landscape and culture of home. . . . Never preachy or political, Abi-Ezzi makes the reader feel the impact of savagery in the civil war. . . . There is no hatred in this book, only the mystified wonder of a child reared on hope-filled religion. . . . A beautifully written, powerful anti-war statement . . . Ruba is a siren of hope in what could have been a nihilistic document.” Cecile Yazbek, author of Olive Trees Around My Table

“Written with such maturity, it is hard to believe that it’s a debut. . . . This novel transplants us into the world of Ruba, a girl on the cusp of adulthood: a world where the threat of death is very real, the quest for survival strong. It also begs us to ask the question: what happens to those without the money or means to escape a war zone?” Jason Austin, readings.com.au

“A subtle story of the civilian experience of war, as told through the eyes of a child. It’s as evocative of family life as it is of conflict, but its real value is in bringing home that real people are living—or trying to live—behind the news headlines we see.” The Bookbag