Description
Waddah Sharara presents his latest novel, 'Somaia,' following his first novel 'Today's Yesterday'. Widely acknowledged as one of Lebanon's leading academics, writers, and intellectuals, Waddah has maintained a prolific and influential career since the seventies, devoting decades to publishing critical works spanning the realms of society, politics, and culture. Venturing into the world of novels with his distinctive style, Waddah carefully selects characters from socially dynamic periods characterized by transformative changes.
The central character in his new novel, Somaia Ramizan, embodies the essence of the city and bears the indelible marks of its societal evolutions, which have profoundly shaped her character. Initially departing the city for work and marriage, Somaia eventually makes the pivotal decision to return for good. Waddah meticulously traces her life, capturing its daily intricacies and the choices she navigates within her marital, familial, and professional relationships.
The narrative paints a poignant portrait of Somaia as a daughter, a wife, and a working woman, delving into the depths of her personality while addressing the shared concerns of an entire generation of women. Somaia observes her mother's momentary lapse, recalling the challenging weeks following her strenuous and consecutive childbirths. Somaia, burdened with a self-imposed sense of misfortune, surrounds her mother's shoulders and chest, the fabric of her dress soft beneath her touch.
She smells the comforting scent of rosewater, in which her mother dipped cotton every morning, lightly dabbing it on her forehead, ears, and neck. Somaia feels a sudden rush of nausea, evolving into panic as she perceives her mother's body, seemingly devoid of any bones, almost lacking firmness entirely.
