Sidi wa Habibi

Published by Dar Al-Adab, My Master and My Lover (Sayyidi wa Habibi) by award-winning Lebanese author Hoda Barakat is a haunting, multi-layered examination of alienation and moral erosion in the aftermath of the Lebanese Civil War. The novel revolves around Wadeeh, a former model student who was transformed by wartime violence into a hardened militia boss and drug trafficker. Fleeing death threats, Wadeeh and his wife, Samia, escape to Cyprus with their accumulated illicit wealth. In exile, Wadeeh takes a Job and forms a intense, reverent attachment to his company manager, Tareq, briefly recovering a semblance of purpose before vanishing without a trace. The narrative then shifts to Samia, who recounts her perspective, attempting to unravel Wadeeh's mysterious fate and the fractured nature of their marriage. Barakat utilizes dual perspectives and dark irony to dissect displacement, emotional obsession, and the internal disintegration of victims and perpetrators alike.

It is a compelling psychological study of war trauma and exile that showcases Barakat's distinct literary ability to dissect human flaws, power dynamics, and emotional obsession through dual narrators.

Ideal for readers of translated modern Arabic fiction, scholars of Mediterranean diaspora literature and Lebanese Civil War narratives, and fans of character-driven psychological dramas.