Harmful Weeds

Published by Dar Al-Adab (translated into Arabic by Haitham Al-Amine), Weeds (Mauvaises herbes) by Dima Abdallah—originally written in French and winner of prestigious literary awards—is a moving exploration of parental devotion and post-war trauma. Constructing a dual-voice narrative, the novel alternates between a young girl who idolizes her father as an invincible protector amidst the bombs of 1980s Beirut, and the father himself, an intellectual whose spirit is shattered by the conflict. When the family flees to Paris, leaving the father behind, the daughter grows up feeling like an invasive weed—unwanted, resilient, and unable to fully root herself in French society. Through lush imagery and tender prose, Abdallah crafts a melancholic masterpiece about exile, the phantom limbs of childhood memory, and the enduring bond between a father and daughter.

It offers an unforgettable, lyrically written portrayal of the intimate bond between father and daughter, capturing the quiet dignity of surviving war and the complex psychology of living in exile.

Ideal for readers of modern Middle Eastern and Francophone fiction, lovers of poetic, character-driven narratives, and scholars interested in diaspora studies and memory literature.