Selected Arabic Novels. Volume 2

Author: Shi Yanchun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: "The Story of Zehra" is one of a collection of novels. It depicts Zehra, a woman from a Shia town in southern Lebanon, who is haunted by terrifying memories from her childhood. In her youth, she takes the secret of being sexually assaulted over the past decade to her uncle, who has been in exile in West Africa due to political reasons. After returning to Beirut, she plunges into the bloody chaos of the civil war, using her body to transfer a sniper's killing intent. Beyond the terror and gunfire, there emerges a strange sense of fulfillment from her intense longing to find her sister, and she fantasizes about life patterns once the war ends. Her novels give a voice to the suffering of women and are a warrior in the Arab women's liberation movement. She is known for her bold and straightforward treatment of characters, sexuality, and politics, which is rare among Arab writers, drawing attention from readers both in Lebanon and abroad. This book and many of her other novels have been translated into multiple languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, and more.