(BookTrib)
- 
“The Woman from Warsaw” by Salah el Moncef
Set in wartime Benghazi, “The Woman from Warsaw” is a sweeping and intimate portrait of courage, exile and resilience. In luminous prose, Salah el Moncef traces the intertwined destinies of Mariam Khaldoon, a young girl coming of age amid the ruins of empire, and Esther Sanz, a refugee whose quiet defiance reshapes every life around her. This haunting novel captures the beauty and terror of a world collapsing, yet refuses despair.
kAm“%96 (@>2? 7C@> (2CD2H” EC2?D7@C>D 9:DE@CJ :?E@ =:G:?8 6IA6C:6?46 — 6249 A286 DE66A65 :? E96 4@=@CD[ D@F?5D 2?5 >@C2= E6?D:@?D @7 E96 |65:E6CC2?62? 2E H2C] %96 2FE9@C HC:E6D H:E9 E96 =JC:4 AC64:D:@? @7 2 A@6E 2?5 E96 >@C2= G:D:@? @7 2 9:DE@C:2?[ C6>:?5:?8 FD E92E 6G6? :? 9F>2?:EJ’D 52C<6DE 9@FCD[ E6?56C?6DD 6?5FC6D] x? E9:D H@C<[ |@?467 C6G62=D E96 7F== >62DFC6 @7 9:D 4C27E[ HC:E:?8 2E E96 96:89E @7 9:D A@H6CD]k^Am
kAm!FC492D6 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2>K?]E@^c>cGD|cQm9EEADi^^2>K?]E@^c>cGD|ck^2m[ =:DE6? E@ 2? 6I46CAE 7C@> E96 ?@G6= 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E:?JFC=]4@>^E96\H@>2?\7C@>\H2CD2H\6I46CAEQm9EEADi^^E:?JFC=]4@>^E96\H@>2?\7C@>\H2CD2H\6I46CAEk^2m @C C625 25G2?46 C6G:6HD 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E:?JFC=]4@>^E96\H@>2?\7C@>\H2CD2H\C6G:6HDQm9EEADi^^E:?JFC=]4@>^E96\H@>2?\7C@>\H2CD2H\C6G:6HDk^2m]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mk:>8 2=ElQaQ 52E2\2=:8?lQ=67EQ 52E2\6?E:EJ\EJA6lQ7:=6Q DEJ=6lQA255:?8i dAIjQ 52E2\6?E:EJ\FF:5lQ52gh2b_6\_5a6\cech\hg6g\g2_ca`445`35Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^?6HD7=@H]?6HDFD2]4@>^D:E6D^5672F=E^7:=6D^:?=:?6\:>286D^<J=2D\<:E6\:D\7=J:?8\D:>@?\A\;\5@C6J\@FE=:?65]A?8Q 4=2DDlQ2=:8?\=67EQ ^m“zJ=2VD z:E6 xD u=J:?8” 3J $:>@? !]y] s@C6Jk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmx? E9:D :>28:?2E:G6 2?5 E@F49:?8 49:=5C6?’D A:4EFC6 3@@<[ zJ=2 C646:G6D 2 G6CJ DA64:2= 8:7E 7@C 96C 3:CE952J — 2 EC:4< <:E6] (:E9 96C A2C6?EDV 96=A[ D96 D6ED :E 2=@7E 2?5 =62C?D E@ >2?6FG6C :E] qFE E96? E96 F?6IA64E65 92AA6?Di zJ=2 86ED E2?8=65 :? E96 <:E6 2?5 42CC:65 2H2J 3J E96 H:?5] pE 7:CDE[ zJ=2 :D D42C65] w@H H:== D96 86E 5@H?n qFE D@@? D96 =62C?D E@ 4@?EC@= 96C 7=:89E 2?5 A6C7@C>D 2>2K:?8 EC:4<DP pD D96 7=:6D[ D96 F?56C8@6D 2 EC2?D7@C>2E:@? E92E H:== E2<6 96C 72C 7C@> 96C 72>:=J 2?5 E96 H@C=5 36=@H E@ 2 A62467F= A=246 7F== @7 =@G6 2?5 ;@J]k^Am
kAmpG2:=23=6 :? t?8=:D9[ uC6?49 2?5 $A2?:D9[ “zJ=2VD z:E6 xD u=J:?8” :D 2 4@>7@CE:?8 E2=6 @7 9@H =@G6 EC2?D46?5D 562E9[ :?DA:C65 3J E96 2FE9@C’D ?:646[ H9@ A2DD65 2H2J H96? D96 H2D G6CJ J@F?8] p== ?6E AC@4665D 7C@> E96 3@@<VD D2=6 8@ E@ 49:=5C6?’D 9@DA:E2=D 24C@DD E96 &]$] 2?5 r2?252] uC@> pAC:= a[ a_ae[ E@ |2J `dE9[ a_ae[ AFC492D6CD 42? 56D:8?2E6 E96 7F?5D E@ E96 A2CE:4:A2E:?8 9@DA:E2= @7 E96:C 49@:46]k^Am
kAm':D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^E:?JFC=]4@>^<J=2D\<:E6Qm9EEADi^^E:?JFC=]4@>^<J=2D\<:E6k^2m E@ AFC492D6 @C =62C? >@C6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mk:>8 2=ElQbQ 52E2\2=:8?lQ=67EQ 52E2\6?E:EJ\EJA6lQ7:=6Q DEJ=6lQA255:?8i dAIjQ 52E2\6?E:EJ\FF:5lQggc44e36\ebdc\ch4b\g2c5\5c3_7d4dd4c2Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^?6HD7=@H]?6HDFD2]4@>^D:E6D^5672F=E^7:=6D^:?=:?6\:>286D^D665D\@7\AFCA@D6\>2C=JD6\E492><@\@FE=:?65]A?8Q 4=2DDlQ2=:8?\=67EQ ^m“$665D @7 !FCA@D6i $6G6? z6JD E@ &?=@4< *@FC v:7ED 2?5 uF=7:== v@5VD s6D:C65 (:== 7@C *@FC {:76” 3J |2C=JD6 %492><@k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm“$665D @7 !FCA@D6” @776CD 2 72:E9\46?E6C65 8F:56 7@C C6256CD D66<:?8 4=2C:EJ[ :56?E:EJ 2?5 5:C64E:@? :? E96:C =:G6D] sC2H:?8 7C@> 96C @H? DA:C:EF2= ;@FC?6J[ |2C=JD6 %492><@ AC6D6?ED D6G6? AC24E:42=[ 3:3=:42==J 8C@F?565 AC:?4:A=6D 56D:8?65 E@ 96=A C6256CD 8C@H 4=@D6C E@ r9C:DE 2?5 36EE6C F?56CDE2?5 E96:C F?:BF6 42==:?8]k^Am
kAmq=6?5:?8 D4C:AEFC6 H:E9 C62=\=:76 :?D:89ED[ E96 3@@< 6IA=@C6D 9@H E@ 3F:=5 DEC@?8 C6=2E:@?D9:AD[ >2<6 G2=F6D\5C:G6? 564:D:@?D[ 2?5 DE6H2C5 J@FC :??2E6 8:7ED H:E9 :?E6?E:@?] t249 “<6J” D6CG6D 2D 3@E9 6?4@FC286>6?E 2?5 2? 24E:@? A=2?[ :?G:E:?8 C6256CD E@ 566A6? E96:C 72:E9 2D E96J ?2G:82E6 6G6CJ52J 492==6?86D H:E9 AFCA@D6 2?5 :?E68C:EJ]k^Am
kAm(C:EE6? 2D 2 8F:56 7@C E66?D 3FE 2446DD:3=6 E@ 2 3C@256C 2F5:6?46[ “$665D @7 !FCA@D6” DA62<D E@ 2?J@?6 D62C49:?8 7@C >62?:?8] %492><@’D >6DD286 :D 4=62Ci 5:D4@G6C:?8 H9@ J@F 2C6 368:?D H:E9 F?56CDE2?5:?8 k6>mH9@D6k^6>m J@F 2C6 — 2?5 =:G:?8 3@=5=J 7C@> E92E ECFE9]k^Am
kAm!FC492D6 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2>K?]E@^c>D#?8EQm9EEADi^^2>K?]E@^c>D#?8Ek^2m]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mk:>8 2=ElQcQ 52E2\2=:8?lQ=67EQ 52E2\6?E:EJ\EJA6lQ7:=6Q DEJ=6lQA255:?8i dAIjQ 52E2\6?E:EJ\FF:5lQeahe4aae\e5dg\cegd\gg5e\bhgha232g74hQ DC4lQ9EEADi^^?6HD7=@H]?6HDFD2]4@>^D:E6D^5672F=E^7:=6D^:?=:?6\:>286D^72F=E\=:?6\E:>\D>:E9];A8Q 4=2DDlQ2=:8?\=67EQ ^m“u2F=E {:?6i $E:== $E2?5:?8” 3J %:> $>:E9k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmx? “u2F=E {:?6i $E:== $E2?5:?8[” %:> $>:E9 56=:G6CD 2 D62C:?8 J6E F=E:>2E6=J FA=:7E:?8 >6>@:C @7 2 49:=59@@5 D92A65 3J :?DE23:=:EJ[ ?68=64E 2?5 6>@E:@?2= 23FD6 — 2?5 E96 =@?8 C@25 E@ C64=2:>:?8 2 D6?D6 @7 D6=7] vC@H:?8 FA :? E96 CFC2= $@FE9[ $>:E9 ?2G:82E6D 2 H@C=5 H96C6 =@G6 :D F?AC65:4E23=6 2?5 D276EJ :D ?6G6C 8F2C2?E665[ 7C@> 492@E:4 9@>6D 2?5 G@=2E:=6 42C68:G6CD E@ E96 BF:6E =@?6=:?6DD @7 36:?8 F?D66? 2?5 >:DF?56CDE@@5]k^Am
kAmpD 96 >@G6D E9C@F89 25@=6D46?46[ >2C<65 3J 3F==J:?8[ D92>6 2?5 BF6DE:@?D @7 :56?E:EJ[ D>2== >@>6?ED @7 C67F86 — E62496CD[ 3@@<D 2?5 4C62E:G:EJ — @776C 8=:>AD6D @7 2?@E96C =:76] qFE :E :D?’E F?E:= 25F=E9@@5 E92E $>:E9 368:?D E96 5:77:4F=E H@C< @7 4@?7C@?E:?8 9:D A2DE 2?5 C63F:=5:?8 @? 9:D @H? E6C>D]k^Am
kAm%@=5 H:E9 C2H 9@?6DEJ 2?5 DFCAC:D:?8 7=2D96D @7 9F>@C[ E9:D :D 2 DE@CJ @7 DFCG:G2=[ C6D:=:6?46 2?5[ F=E:>2E6=J[ 962=:?8 — 2 E6DE2>6?E E@ H92E :E >62?D E@ 6?5FC6 2?5 DE:== 7:?5 2 H2J 7@CH2C5]k^Am
kAm!FC492D6 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2>K?]E@^c44zJ5*Qm9EEADi^^2>K?]E@^c44zJ5*k^2m]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.