Syrian Brides is described as ‘a delightful collection of short stories offering insight into the lives of Syrian women, both the married and the brides-to-be.’
Written by Anna Halabi, it was published in November 2018. Anna joins me today with a few words about her writing and her book.
“I based most of the characters on friends and relatives back home in Aleppo.”
[ About the Book ]
This delightful collection of short stories offers insight into the lives of Syrian women, both the married and the brides-to-be. It reveals the warmth and humor as well as the oppression in the Syrian society. The stories make the reader laugh while addressing serious issues such as domestic violence.
Um Hussam can’t find a suitable bride for her son, testing each candidate’s sight, hearing and reading skills, occasionally cobbing a feel.
Jamila’s husband Hassan can’t forget his deceased wife, until she makes sure he never mentions her again.
Rami can’t help but wonder whether his new bride is a natural beauty or a talented surgeon’s masterpiece.
Khadija’s maid stabs her in the back while Rana’s husband Muafak can’t find the right excuse to avoid a fight
[ Guest Post ]
“Published in November 2018, Syrian Brides is a collection of short stories about the lives of married women and brides-to-be. It depicts the good and the bad, the funny and the sad, the warmth and the violence of the Syrian culture. It is my debut as an author. I based most of the characters on friends and relatives back home in Aleppo.
I’ve been asked how I came up with these stories. I just remember Syria, I say. I close my eyes and imagine the characters. I see Bana sitting in the corner, braiding her hair and licking her wounds. I hear Um Hussam ranting about her daughter-in-law. I watch Rami’s disappointment grow at the sight of his fake bride.
I sit at my laptop and the words start pouring out. If one of my characters misspoke or if I decide to change their destiny, I just hit delete and it’s like nothing ever happened. I wish it was that easy in the real world. I wish I could just press the backspace key a few times to take back what I said in anger and undo my rage. But alas, that is what fiction is for. To escape from the real world into a land at the end of a rainbow.”
[ Bio ]
Anna Halabi was born and raised in Aleppo, Syria. She emigrated to Europe in 1999 for her university studies. She currently lives with her family in Germany.
Syrian Brides is her debut as an author. The stories and characters in this collection were inspired by her personal experiences as well as her relatives, friends and TV shows.
Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/SyrianBrides/
Goodreads ~ www.goodreads.com/book/show/43230472-syrian-brides
Amazon UK ~ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Syrian-Brides-Anna-Halabi/dp/1980557373/
