Najwa Barakat's Oh, Salaam! tells the story of three friends - an explosives expert, a sniper, and a torturer - whose lives are transformed by their involvement in a civil war in an unnamed Arab country, and by their relationship with the novels's anti-heroine, Salaam. Two of the friends live to see the end of the war but struggle to survive the arrival of peace and to make a life for themselves in a society that has no use for ex-paramilitaries. As the characters seek to find love, make it rich, or get out of the country alive, they use and torment each other, revealing the ultimate consequences of war and gender violence in a "city that no longer resembles itself."
First published in Arabic and translated into Italian and French, Oh, Salaam! has been acclaimed for its skillful, unflinching treatment of antisocial characters, gender roles, and the effects of civil war.
Über die Autorin / über den Autor:Najwa Barakat is a prominent and active voice in the Arab literary world, addressing difficult themes with dark humor and gritty realism. Born in Beirut, she has written five novels in Arabic and one in French. In addition to her work as a novelist and journalist, Barakat has translated Camus's Notebooks into Arabic and founded Mohtaraf, a program to encourage and train young Arab writers.
Luke Leafgren currently teaches Arabic at Harvard University. He translated Muhsin Al-Ramli's Dates on My Fingers.
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