Yalo

Published by Dar Al-Adab, Yalo by acclaimed Lebanese author Elias Khoury is a haunting, multi-layered examination of trauma, memory, and war. The novel centers on Daniel, known as "Yalo," a young Assyrian-Syriac man shaped by the violence of the Lebanese Civil War. After serving in a Christian militia and drifting into a life of crime, Yalo falls obsessed with a woman named Aby (Gaby). Soon arrested and subjected to brutal interrogation in a Beirut prison, he is forced to continually write and rewrite confessions of his crimes. As Yalo puts pen to paper, the boundary between truth and delusion dissolves, uncovering buried memories of his family history, the horrors of warfare, and his lost sense of self. Khoury crafts an uncompromising, hypnotically complex portrait of a antihero produced by a deeply fractured society.

It is a masterclass in psychological realism and narrative technique, offering a profound exploration of violence, guilt, memory, and the power of language in the aftermath of civil war.

Ideal for readers of modern Middle Eastern fiction, fans of psychological thrillers, and scholars interested in post-war literature, trauma theory, and identity politics.