Rebirth

Antoun Issa powerfully captures his mother’s true experiences of love, heartbreak and new hope during the violence of civil war.

Beirut, 1974. Laila Khalil has just come of age for marriage. The eldest of five in a poor Catholic family, Laila knows that she must fulfil her family’s expectations. But her heart is drawn to the handsome Nicolas, a coiffeur at a local hair salon. Dodging the watchful eyes in their patriarchal society, particularly those of Laila’s domineering father, the two young lovers begin a tender romance. Soon, they make plans for marriage.

But Laila’s dreams are dashed when the Lebanese Civil War breaks out.

Shells whir overhead as Laila’s family are caught in heavy clashes between the Phalangists and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. When tragedy strikes, Laila watches all her hopes wither to ash. But just as life seems its darkest, a lifeline presents itself: the prospect of migration to a faraway land called Australia.

Rebirth brings to light a young woman’s extraordinary journey through war, tragedy, migration and renewal.

‘A compelling narrative of a Lebanese Australian family on an intimate domestic scale – one that honours the lost yet affirms and emphasises resilience and connection’ THE AGE

‘A timely reminder of the suffering of the Lebanese people and the resilience required to begin again’ SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

‘The world Issa weaves is so warm, pacy and vivid, with such a vibrant protagonist’ THE GUARDIAN

‘Written both beautifully and heartbreakingly, Rebirth reveals the real and ugly truths of a story often neglected’ HONI SOIT