Brenden Schiepan
This book is phenomenal. It completely hit the sweet spot for me: devastating, heavy literary fiction that somehow still reads as fast as a thriller. The way Rawi Hage writes is incredibly poetic, but it’s completely soaked in the raw grit and trauma of the Lebanese Civil War. It was especially impactful for me given my own Maronite Lebanese roots; you really feel the chaotic, smoke-filled atmosphere and the unbreakable survival instinct of the characters living on the edge. The story grips you from the first page in Beirut and doesn't let go, all the way through the final act in France. The ending was fantastic and perfectly executed. Highly recommend this if you want something fast-paced but emotionally profound.
This book is phenomenal. It completely hit the sweet spot for me: devastating, heavy literary fiction that somehow still reads as fast as a thriller. The way Rawi Hage writes is incredibly poetic, but it’s completely soaked in the raw grit and trauma of the Lebanese Civil War. It was especially impactful for me given my own Maronite Lebanese roots; you really feel the chaotic, smoke-filled atmosphere and the unbreakable survival instinct of the characters living on the edge. The story grips you from the first page in Beirut and doesn't let go, all the way through the final act in France. The ending was fantastic and perfectly executed. Highly recommend this if you want something fast-paced but emotionally profound.