Dreams of Water

Set during the 1980s civil war in Lebanon, ‘Dreams of Water’ is complusively readable, deceptively simple and overwhelmingly moving.

'If you could tell me just one thing about yourself, what would it be?'
She begins, 'I would say that I once lost a brother.'

As a young man disappears, his family is left wondering, hoping, fearing for what may have become of him. It is only through his loss that they begin to truly understand the deep bond of love that ties their family together.

Aneesa, his sister, feels the loss of her brother intensely and, unable to live in the vacuum left by his disappearance, she leaves her home and all she holds dear. She moves to London seeking a new life, new friends, and a release from her sorrow. There she meets an older man, another exile who reminds her of home. Brought together by their shared feeling for their homeland, they form an unlikely friendship. Yet, Aneesa finds she cannot mourn without knowing the truth about her brother's death, she cannot get on with her life without some certainty.

Meanwhile, back home, Aneesa's mother is grieving for her son. Unable to cope with his loss, she resorts to her community's traditional beliefs and imagines he has been reincarnated. Aneesa reluctantly returns home, determined to uncover the truth behind her brother's disappearance, and rekindle the sense of belonging that she left behind.

‘Dreams of Water’ is a moving story of love, loss and family. Set against a backdrop of upheaval and violence, it reminds us of the importance of hope, of love, and of the strength of family.

Reviews

Praise for ‘Dreams of Water’:

‘The beauty of this novel lies in its images which are vivid and strange, sometimes even fantastical…There is comfort in reading about characters, all of whom are withdrawn and inhibited, yet who are shown as capable of great tenderness.’
Times Literary Supplement

‘A slow-burning, powerful story of loss and grief’
Good Housekeeping

'Twenty years ago, when civil war broke out in Lebanon, Nada Awar Jarrar was forced to flee with her family. Her novel Dreams of Water recasts this experience in a tale about a family whose son goes missing in war-ravaged Beirut'
Vogue

‘This beautifully written book is powerfully evocative of the human cost of war and the longing for love, that despite the shooting and shelling, never fades.’
Economist

About the author

Nada Awar Jarrar was born in Lebanon to an Australian mother and a Lebanese father. She has lived in London, Paris, Sydney and Washington DC and is currently based in Beirut where she lives with her husband Bassem and their daughter Zeina. Her first novel, ‘Somewhere, Home’ won the Commonwealth Best First Book award for Southeast Asia and the South Pacific in 2004.