The mission of LebWrites Book Club is to increase awareness and recognition of the contributions of Lebanese writers, and to encourage and expand the member's personal literary experience by exploring the different genres of Lebanese literature.

Recognizing that "information is power," LebWrites will examine books written by Lebanese. In doing so, we will increase our collective understanding through critical discussions, build relationships through social events, and serve our community by promoting the benefits of literacy.

This month's book:

Beirut Blues: A Novel
by Hanan Al-Shaykh

Book can be purchased at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com.

Editorial Reviews:

From Booklist

In 10 letters addressed to the people, places, and events that have shaped her life, Asmahan, a well-to-do Lebanese woman, tries to decide whether to stay in her war-ravaged country or to immigrate to the U.S., where her mother lives, or possibly to France, new home of her friends Jawad and Hayat. But Asmahan loves her city and its people, and she cannot imagine life anywhere else. She is contemptuous of those who have left, whether they are fleeing religious or political persecution or are simply trying to find work. But the constant danger and the daily frustrations of dealing with the various militias, of not having enough food, of rationed electricity, coupled with her love for Jawad, weaken her resolution. In the final letter, she sits in the departure lounge of Beirut International Airport and weighs her decision. In this sparkling translation, Hanan al-Shaykh vividly portrays the tragedy of contemporary Lebanon in resonant human terms. George Needham --

Ingram

The daring fragmented structure of this epistolary novel mirrors the chaos surrounding the heroine, Asmahan, as she futilely writes letters to her loved ones, to her friends, to Beirut, and to the war itself--letters of lament that are never to be answered except with their own resounding echoes. Hanan al-Shaykh evokes a Beirut that has been seen by few.

From the Publisher

With the acclaim won by her first two novels, Hanan al-Shaykh established herself as the Arab world's foremost woman writer. Beirut Blues, published to similar acclaim, further confirms her place in Arabic literature, and brings her writing to a new, groundbreaking level.The daring fragmented structure of this epistolary novel mirrors the chaos surrounding the heroine, Asmahan, as she futilely writes letters to her loved ones, to her friends, to Beirut, and to the war itself--letters of lament that are never to be answered except with their own resounding echoes. In Beirut Blues, Hanan al-Shaykh evokes a Beirut that has been seen by few, and that will never be seen again."Like the best modern political novels, Beirut Blues is not a political statement, fingers are not pointed without understanding. Hanan al-Shaykh's vision is unbelieving and yet full of faith."--The Philadelphia Inquirer"A warm and hauntingly melancholic new novel . . . [by] one of the most daring and controversial female writers of the Middle East."--San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle"A finely wrought epistolary novel of lament and loss that mourns the fate of a beloved city . . . lovely measured writing from a voice deserving to be heard."--Kirkus Reviews

From the Back Cover

"Like the best modern political novels, Beirut Blues is not a political statement, fingers are not pointed without understanding. Hanan al-Shaykh's vision is unbelieving and yet full of faith."--The Philadelphia Inquirer"A warm and hauntingly melancholic new novel . . . [by] one of the most daring and controversial female writers of the Middle East."--San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle"A finely wrought epistolary novel of lament and loss that mourns the fate of a beloved city . . . lovely measured writing from a voice deserving to be heard."--Kirkus Reviews