As Though She Were Sleeping

Published by Dar Al-Adab, As Though She Were Sleeping (Ka’annaha Na’ima) by Elias Khoury is a haunting, lyrically rendered meditation on memory, love, and historical upheaval. Set in 1947 against the backdrop of shifting borders in Lebanon and Palestine, the story focuses on Milia, a young woman experiencing a protracted and perilous labor. As her husband Mansour watches over her, Milia slips into a series of vivid, surreal dreams that blend past, present, and premonition. Through her hallucinatory inner journey, Khoury paints a rich tapestry of Levantine society, classical Arabic poetry, and personal heartbreak on the brink of the 1948 Nakba, turning Milia’s dreams into a sacred sanctuary against time and erasure.

It offers an exquisitely poetic and non-linear narrative that bridges Arabic folklore, classical verse, and personal tragedy during a pivotal epoch in Middle Eastern history.

Ideal for readers of poetic and psychological fiction, fans of magical realism, and scholars interested in Levantine history, memory literature, and modern Arabic narrative art.