Canceled Memories: A Novel

by Nazik Saba Yared, Nadine Sinno (Translator)

Set during the Lebanese civil war, this novel chronicles the splintering of the Al-Mukhtars, a Lebanese family whose love and trust for one another is strained by the increasing economic, social, and psychological tensions that surround them. Huda, feeling helpless as a housewife, pursues a career as a university professor and immerses herself in her work and students. Sharif, trapped in a static bureaucratic position, begins to resent his wife’s success and slowly withdraws from his family. When their marriage dissolves, the couple fight over the custody of their adolescent daughter. In a patriarchal society that favors the rights of the father, Huda is powerless as her daughter is taken from her. Through the author’s use of flashbacks, the reader witnesses the stark contrast between the young, idealistic couple and the older husband and wife, who have become increasingly isolated and disillusioned.

Narrated through the voices of several characters, Canceled Memories depicts a Lebanese family seeking to maintain love and trust for each other despite the destructive and corrupting effects of war. Nadine Sinno’s fluent translation introduces a wider audience to one of Lebanon’s finest contemporary writers.

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2009

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may be a little bias because I met the translator but this is an awesome book nonetheless. It's about a Coptic family in Beirut in the Civil War and their lives. The parents are separated and their young daughter make implicit comments not only on culture and life but also how the war becomes part of life. This is particularly interesting for me because of the ways that war can very much be distant from an individual's reality as well as very intertwined with how people think and react. A short read but awesome piece of fiction both within and not considering the political context.