Confessions

The Confessions (Al-I'tirafat) by acclaimed Lebanese author Rabee Jaber is a haunting exploration of identity, memory, and the psychological scars left by the Lebanese Civil War. Set in divided Beirut, the novel unfolds through the intimate confession of a young man who uncovers a shattering truth: the man he loved as his father was actually a militia soldier who kidnapped him during the war to replace his own murdered son, Maroun. Inheriting a dead boy's name, room, and family identity, the protagonist navigates a ghostly life between two realities. Through stark, poetic prose, Jaber paints a devastating portrait of war's collateral damage, guilt, stolen lives, and the painful search for authentic identity amidst a traumatized city.

It offers a gripping, emotionally raw, and masterfully written look at the human cost of civil war, identity theft, and the complex path toward personal truth and forgiveness.

Fans of contemporary Arabic fiction and translated Middle Eastern literature, readers interested in historical fiction and civil war narratives, and anyone seeking deep psychological character studies.