Milia's response to her new husband Mansour and to the Arab World of 1947 is to close her eyes and drift into parallel worlds. Identities shift. Present, past, and future mingle and merge: she finds herself able to converse with the dead and foresee the future. As the novel progresses in glimpses, Milia's dreams become more navigable than the strange and obstinate reality in which she finds herself, and the two realms grow ever more entangled. This wondrous tapestry of love, faith, history, poetry, and vision cuts to the very heart of the deep-rooted conflicts of the region and breaks new literary ground.An enchanting hymn to the Middle East, infused with the richness and beauty of classical Arabic poetry. —The Guardian
Elias Khoury's latest novel returns to a golden age. Beirut in the 30s, unoccupied Palestine and a love affair recalled through a set of dream sequences: an Arab spring of a very different sort. —Tariq Ali, The Independent
An imposingly rich and realistic novel, a genuine masterwork. —The New York Times Book Review
Humanity and compassion give this rich and teeming narrative its shape, creating a work that in its essence is a heartfelt plea for sanity and peace. —The Christian Science MonitorElias Khoury, born in Beirut, is the author of thirteen novels, four volumes of literary criticism, and three plays. He was awarded the Palestine Prize for Gate of the Sun, which was named Best Book of the Year by Le Monde Diplomatique, The Christian Science Monitlă*
![As Though She Were Sleeping [Hardcover]](/itemImage/2/4/4/5/2_6846046.jpg "As Though She Were Sleeping [Hardcover]")