Fünfzig Gramm Paradies

Beirut, 1994. Ten years have passed since Maja left her city for Paris. Now she has returned to Lebanon, where the devastation of the recently ended civil war is visible everywhere, not only in the streets but also in the souls of the people. While filming a documentary, she discovers a worn leather suitcase in the ruins, the contents of which—letters, photos, and diaries—turn her life upside down. Maja's relentless research leads her to the trail of the Syrian journalist Nûra, who once dared to flee after the secret service had set its sights on her. Iman Humaidan's novel presents a kaleidoscopic and multifaceted picture of life during the Lebanese civil war and the time that followed, shedding light on the repression of collective and personal guilt and the fates of minorities—Kurds.