Der Fremde aus Paris

Montpellier, at the beginning of World War I: When the young Palestinian Midhat disembarks from a steamer from Alexandria, it marks the beginning of a radiant future for him. Eagerly, he immerses himself in his medical studies, absorbs French culture, and falls in love with the emancipated Jeannette. However, in the bourgeois salons shaken by war, Midhat remains a stranger and must learn how fragile everything is: friends become enemies, love turns into betrayal. He escapes into the excessive nightlife of Paris and then returns to the strict paternal care in Palestine. But even his homeland has become a powder keg in the struggle for independence. Isabella Hammad masterfully narrates the life of a border crosser and rootless individual. This is a novel about love between cultures and the epic of a turning point in history - of classical brilliance and unprecedented relevance.