After losing hope of proving the existence of the Sumakiat Library, which disappeared under mysterious circumstances in the early 1960s, one of her books appears almost out of nowhere, more than twenty kilometers away from its location and disappearance: the complete book “Al-Shawqiyyat,” and on its inner page is written “Sammaqiyat Library.” ", and a serial number was entered.
This book revives Tawfiq Al-Khadra's hope in proving the existence of the library, which has actually become an imaginary library that never existed, because everyone denied its existence in the first place. He searches for the rest of the books, traces how they reached the people he found them with, and little by little the facts of what happened on that distant day in which the library disappeared and Faris Abu Lawz was killed are revealed to him.
هذا الكتاب الذي بين يديك يحمل بين طياته مجموعة من القصص الواقعية لأشخاص بدأوا حياتهم من الصفر وأرتقوا بها الى قمة المجد والشهرة والثراء. وهذه القصص قمنا بجمعها ...
Catherine, an orphan girl, carries the stigma of her social background because she is of mixed race, in an era when society was against her and all the principles she represented. In the midst of her daily struggle, music gives her the freedom to temporarily escape and the possibility of dreaming of a better life. Within a journey ravaged by the vicissitudes of unexpected motherhood and an absent husband, Catherine strives to protect this hard-earned haven and rely on her talent to build a future for her family.
Mahsa is also an orphan girl, who grows up in an atmosphere of loss after her parents die and she is sent to live with her relatives in Pakistan. As part of her struggle to find her freedom, Mahsa flees to Montreal, leaving her first love behind. But in the end, she discovers the impossibility of cutting the threads of her past, and finally finds herself forced to accept an arranged marriage. For Mahsa, music becomes her beautiful solace, allowing her to escape from the oppressive circumstances that surround her.
In light of their struggle between the visible life and the hidden life, the two girls, music lovers, meet...
***
“I can no longer remember the number of times I stood captivated by the details of the events of this poignant novel. Each page depicts hope versus despair, and asks us to struggle to achieve our dreams without which we would be lost. This story, which presents the themes of motherhood and friendship, through its two exceptional heroines, will remain... Engraved in my memory to accompany me for a long time.”
Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.
