“Sarrah” is an immigrant in Sweden. Since the start of the war in her country, she has been unable to write. She seeks to seize the key to freedom of expression, but she faces locks. She works with an autistic child, whose father, Gibran, works in a library and fights discrimination, but he still finds himself in dark basements.
“Gibran” longs for “Sarrah,” and she longs for writing, remembering her days in Hama, and her ambition to find peace.
In this novel, Manhal Al-Sarraj tells us, in a different style of narration and writing, the story of Syrian immigrants in Sweden, their circumstances, and the fragmentation of their relationships, and quietly scatters reflections on existence, life, trust, love, and peace.
There was a tree on the river bank, a coconut tree. Siddhartha leaned over her, wrapped his arm around her torso and then looked at the greenish water flowing beneath him. He looked down and was filled with the desire to lower himself into the water. The terrible emptiness in the water reflected a terrifying emptiness in his soul. Yes. He was at his end. There was nothing left but to remove himself. This was the work he longed to do, to destroy the formula he hated! May the fish devour this heart of Siddhartha, this imbecile, this corrupt and worn-out body, this dull, consuming soul! May the fish and crocodiles devour him and the demons tear him apart.
With convulsive features, he stared at the water and saw his face and spat on it. He moved his arms away from the tree trunk and turned slightly, hoping to fall on his head and dive. With his eyes closed, he leaned toward death.
كيف نجد الحبّ ونحافظ عليه؟ نجتاز أكبر المشكلات في علاقاتنا بسهولة؟ نتأقلم مع التغيير والخسارة؟ حياتنا تدور حول العلاقات: العائلة والأصدقاء والزّملاء والحبيب وحتّى علاقتنا مع نفسنا. لو تمكّنا من تحقيق التوازن فيها، تصبح حياتنا أسهل.
