A History of the Big House: A Novel [Paperback]

This vibrant family saga chronicles the rise and fall of the Nassar clan, as they navigate the great events of the 20th century in Lebanon, from the Ottoman Empire to the French Mandate.

At the end of the 19th century, a man is forced to flee his village after a quarrel. Starting over with nothing, the banished, audacious Wakim Nassar will create orange plantations on the outskirts of Beirut and become the head of a large clan, feared and respected. The great house he builds at their center will become a powerful symbol of the Nassars’ glory, admired from afar. But this decadence is short-lived, battered by the First World War, illness, family tragedy, and the shifting regimes that control Lebanon. As circumstances compel Wakim’s descendants, one by one, to leave the house, it falls into ruin.

A rich, sweeping tale full of unforgettable characters and anchored in historical fact, A History of the Big House captures the unique experience of the Lebanese people through this family’s triumphs and struggles.“A pleasure to read, as [Majdalani] unfurls lyrical sentences and conjures unexpected, poignant images…His fluency with Lebanese history, particularly its cycles of prosperity and ruin, propels the story.” —New York Times Book Review
 
“Deliberately paced and carefully written: a memorable evocation of a distant but not irrecoverable time.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
“With a literary style and leisurely flow, French-Lebanese writer Majdalani thoroughly details the narrator’s journey as they meander through 100 years of family history…this lavishly written family saga retains its elegant storytelling through Diver’s translation.” —