Rana Hanna, author of "Birds in the Rain," her first novel. (Credit: Rana Hanna)
"When I left, I cried for two years. And when I came back, I cried for two years," Rana Hanna says matter-of-factly, sitting across the table as coffee arrives mid-sentence, interruptions blending naturally into the conversation. Her split life is in many ways the emotional backbone of "Birds in the Rain" (Bold Story Press), her first novel just published in English, a book that reads like one long, finally relieved breath. The young woman, who left Lebanon at age 12 during the civil war and returned at 28, signs a debut novel of deep intimacy, never seeking compassion. The Bard Card The woman who inked Shakespeare’s quill: ‘Hamnet’ review The novel's tone is restrained, precise, and quietly devastating. The book explores recurring questions about home, leaving, and returning, and, with controlled sobriety,...
"When I left, I cried for two years. And when I came back, I cried for two years," Rana Hanna says matter-of-factly, sitting across the table as coffee arrives mid-sentence, interruptions blending naturally into the conversation. Her split life is in many ways the emotional backbone of "Birds in the Rain" (Bold Story Press), her first novel just published in English, a book that reads like one long, finally relieved breath. The young woman, who left Lebanon at age 12 during the civil war and returned at 28, signs a debut novel of deep intimacy, never seeking compassion. The Bard Card The woman who inked Shakespeare’s quill: ‘Hamnet’ review The novel's tone is restrained, precise, and quietly devastating. The book explores recurring questions about home, leaving, and returning, and, with controlled...
Israel kills 2 in southern Lebanon, shattering 3 days of relative calm