Yara, a Lebanese woman, describes her past and present in terms of the scents of the souks, the odors of the street, the perfumes of soap and perfume shops, the smell of her mother's cooking, the colognes of her male friends and husband. She is admittedly hypersensitive to her olfactory surroundings, and associates many of these with memories dear to her, recalling Proust's evocative madeleines. She is forbidden by her father to marry a non-Muslim, yet the memory of her Jewish first boyfriend's cologne represents the essence of sensuality for her. When she agrees to marry her Muslim cousin…mehr
Yara, a Lebanese woman, describes her past and present in terms of the scents of the souks, the odors of the street, the perfumes of soap and perfume shops, the smell of her mother's cooking, the colognes of her male friends and husband. She is admittedly hypersensitive to her olfactory surroundings, and associates many of these with memories dear to her, recalling Proust's evocative madeleines. She is forbidden by her father to marry a non-Muslim, yet the memory of her Jewish first boyfriend's cologne represents the essence of sensuality for her. When she agrees to marry her Muslim cousin whose smell repulses her, to satisfy her father's wishes, she is plunged into despair and experiences a series of personal and family tragedies. When she subsequently loses her sense of smell, this becomes both a blessing and a curse, as she is content not to be plagued by some disturbing odors, but finds that memories connected to smells also begin to disappear, creating a certain loss of self. The inner monologue which documents this emotionally charged loss, also seductively evokes the Lebanese cultural context via her choice of colorful details. This great novel will captivate all readers.
Ezza Agha Malak is Professor Emerita of the Université Libanaise and the Université Saint-Joseph (Lebanon), where she taught French linguistics, stylistics, language and literature, and directed doctoral research at the University of Lebanon. Ezza Agha Malak received her Doctorat d'Etat ès Lettres et Sciences humaines from the University of Lyon II, France (1983). Ezza Agha Malak speaks of literature as a kind of engagement and of the French language as her outlet and existential need. Her novels, in which she artfully utilizes suspense, vary in their themes and messages: tolerance, love, falling out of love, problems of the couple, women's rights, macho society, abusive childhood.Cynthia T. Hahn, a Professor of French at Lake Forest College, Illinois, received a Ph.D. in Francophone Literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana, USA. She has been teaching French and francophone literatures and cultures since 1990. She has translated eight novels into English.
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