My First and Only Love by Sahar Khalifeh is the sixth novel by this legendary Palestinian author is her sixth one. The title of the book itself is so appealing. Don't think it's just a romantic story. It is far beyond that with a lot of intensity and gravity in it. This new novel by the celebrated Palestinian author takes you back in time and then brings back, and does the same again, many times. It takes you decades back focusing on family, politics, and friendship at her native place and how all the three changed and transformed to a new shape because of continuous violence and war in her country. This is the story of Nidal, in her old age now returning back to her homeland after decades. She, along with many others was exiled by the colonial forced during the 1948 Arab - Israeli war.
Nidal returns to her homeland, Palestine to acquire and repair her home where she spent most of her childhood to revive back her childhood memories that would help her to wash away the pain and torture she faced all these years filled with war, bloodshed, and armed confrontations. Nidal is the protagonist in My First and Only Love by Sahar Khalifeh. Now, I think, we can easily guess what love author is referring to. Living back here would also help Nidal live with the memories of her first love Rabie. Rabie is the boy Nidal fell in love with when that armed conflict began. During that period Rabie was confused between his duty towards his nation and his first love. Ultimately, Rabie decided to join the war as a soldier from his country. Since then, Nidal kept wondering about Rabie's whereabouts and wellbeing.
Is Nidal able to find Rabie? Is Rabie still alive? There are many more questions that this story needs to answer. And to find those answers, you need to pick this fantastic book My First and Only Love by Sahar Khalifeh.
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