The story of Zahra by Hanan al-Shaykh

Set in Beirut, Lebanon. Reviewed on 2018/03: https://www.instagram.com/p/BgJk20BDfnD/

This is the beauty of social media! You can post highly critical books on both #israel and #lebanon subsequently and piss everyone off. Mission accomplished!
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#hananalshaykh is an acclaimed #lebanesewriter living in exile in London and with a few #banned books. #thestoryofzahra is apparently banned in several Arab countries. People are afraid of #zahra no doubt about it. They are afraid of #herbodyThey are afraid of #heremotions#herfeelings They are definitely afraid of #hersexuality and how she chooses to express or experience it. #alshaykh also managed to gift us with a quite complex character here. Zahra is at the end of the day a volcano of a #teenager She has millions of questions, contradicts herself all the time, wants to taste and savor everything and live. Despite the wars and #family obligations, those oppressing her seem to come from a place of #jealousy At some point in their lives, they were also like Zahra. However they have now given up and adapted to the system, the #dreamkiller Now their silences and fears dominate their lives and that’s the message they desperately try to teach Zahra. So what options does Zahra have? For that answer, I’m going to have to let you read the book… #highlyrecommended#lebaneseliterature #beirut #بيروت