Nazik Saba Yared
Translated from the Arabic by Nadine Sinno
Cloth $22.95
| 978-08156-0937-7
| 2009
Reviews
"In Canceled Memories, Nazik Yared depicts the long war
in Lebanon with energy, passion, and faithfulness. . . .When words fail, the protagonist turns to the camera, zooming in and out, to capture the scenes and record
them. And the pictures endure, even if the memories are canceled."
—Emily Nasrallah, Al-Anwar
Description
Set during the Lebanese civil war, this novel chronicles the splintering
of the Al-Mukhtars, a Lebanese family whose love and trust for one
another is strained by the increasing economic, social, and psychological
tensions that surround them. Huda, feeling helpless as a
housewife, pursues a career as a university professor and immerses
herself in her work and students. Sharif, trapped in a static bureaucratic
position, begins to resent his wife’s success and slowly withdraws
from his family. When their marriage dissolves, the couple
fight over the custody of their adolescent daughter. In a patriarchal
society that favors the rights of the father, Huda is powerless
as her daughter is taken from her. Through the author’s use of
flashbacks, the reader witnesses the stark contrast between the
young, idealistic couple and the older husband and wife, who
have become increasingly isolated and disillusioned.
Narrated through the voices of several characters, Canceled
Memories depicts a Lebanese family seeking to maintain love
and trust for each other despite the destructive and corrupting
effects of war. Nadine Sinno’s fluent translation introduces a
wider audience to one of Lebanon’s finest contemporary writers.
View other series books on Middle East Literature in Translation
Author, Translator
Nazik Saba Yared is an acclaimed Lebanese writer and critic. She is the author of numerous books, including the novels Improvisations of a Mission String, translated by Stuart
A. Hancox, and Al-Aqni`a (The Masks).
Nadine Sinno is currently completing her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at the
University of Arkansas, where she also teaches world literature
and composition.
6 x 9, 144 pages
|
Syracuse University Press
