Life in Lebanon today is chaotic, complex, and sometimes even unstable, but have you ever wondered what everyday life was like for those who lived in Beirut during the civil war? We’ve all heard countless anecdotes from our parents and their parents, telling us of how they lived from 1975-1990 – and we’ve all marveled at their strength, courage, and resilience. Have you ever wanted to hear a stranger’s perspective on war-torn life in Beirut? These 9 novels provide distinctive accounts that you otherwise may have missed.
The Return to Beirut – Andrée Chedid (1989)
Chedid tells the story of Sybil, a young American girl who goes to Beirut for the first time just as Lebanon is about to undergo its civil war. Sybil meets her Lebanese grandmother for the first time, as she witnesses the demise of Lebanon and lives through the flashbacks, memories, and images of the country as told by her grandmother.
Beirut Blues – Hanan Al Shaykh (1995)
Beirut Blues tells an engaging story of a young woman who embarks on a journey of self-discovery in war ravaged Beirut during the Lebanese civil war.
Koolaids: The Art of War – Rabih Alameddine (1998)
A unique perspective on life in Lebanon, this novel explores the AIDS epidemic and life during the Lebanese civil war, through stories of sex, love, death, the meaning of life.
De Niro’s Game – Rawi Hage (2006)
Bassam and George have been best friends since childhood, having grown up together in a war torn Beirut. Their story depicts the classic Lebanese conundrum: to stay in the city they grew up in and know as home, or to leave Lebanon and embark on a journey of better opportunities. The story offers a unique glimpse into Lebanese challenges, and explores social issues such as crime and exile in the chaos of Lebanon.
A Game for Swallows: To Die, To Leave, To Return – Zeina Abirached (2007)
The Lebanese civil war had been going on for six years by the time Zeina was born. She became accustomed to life and war at a very young age, along with her parents and her little brother. This story follows Zeina’s journey after her parents don’t return home one afternoon after visiting the ‘other’ side of town. The story tells of resilience and creativity, as Zeina and her brother stay indoors with their neighbors to endure the psychological chaos of the warzone outside, all while their parents are still missing.
The Hakawati – Rabih Alameddine (2008)
The Hakawati, which translates to The Storyteller, is an inventive novel that takes the reader from the sandy dunes of Egypt all the way to the hustle and bustle of 21st Century Lebanon. The story follows Osama, who returns to Beirut after a lifetime abroad to stand vigil at his father’s deathbed. The city Osama once knew so well has changed, but he and his loved ones rejoice in the one thing that has stayed the same: the culture. In the spirit of his storyteller grandfather, Osama explores a world of stories in his coming-of-age rediscovery of Beirut.
Beirut, I Love You: A Memoir – Zena El Khalil (2009)
Zena finds herself in simultaneous love and hate with Beirut: a city of passion. This memoir tells of her journeys with war, grief, alcohol, drugs, sex, and love affairs amidst the chaos that is Beirut city.
White Masks – Elias Khoury (2010)
This novel tells the story of a journalist who is tirelessly trying to solve the mystery of the death of Khalil Ahmed Jaber, who was found in a municipal garbage dump in Lebanon. The journalist is relentless: he needs answers as to why and how this man disappeared months before his death, who he was, and why he had been left there. He embarks on a journey of discovery – through the stories told by people he asks about the mysterious dead man, and realizes the havoc that years of war has had on the psyche of Lebanese people, as well as their resilience thereafter.
I Remember Beirut – Zeina Abirached (2014)
The same author as A Game for Swallows, Abirached returned in 2014 to with a book of wartime stories of those who lived through the Lebanese civil war. Follow her rides in cars pierced with bullet h
