Songs for the Living and the Dead, by Sara Saleh | ترانيم للاحياء والموتى, سارة صالح

When the ground beneath your feet is always shifting, how can you ever know where you belong?

Join us for this Coffee & Books session with author Sara Saleh in conversation with Laila Al Arian about her new book, Songs for Living and the Dead.

Jamilah has always believed she knows where her home is: in a house above a paint shop on the outskirts of Beirut, with her large, chaotic, loving family. But she soon learns that as Palestinian refugees, her family’s life in Lebanon is precarious, and they must try to blend in even as they fight to retain their identity. But all of that changes when Beirut is engulfed in war.

Songs for the Dead and the Living is a coming-of-age tale played out across generations and continents, from Palestine to Australia. Through stunning prose, acclaimed writer and human-rights activist Sara M Saleh offers a breathtaking portrait of the fragilities and flaws of family in the wake of war, and the love it takes to overcome great loss.