Synopses & Reviews
I'd always believed that we'd spend our lives together...I never dreamed that my time with her would be cut short, or that my life would be a journey down this path, but I realize that she left me with a mission...I must find a way to make all Arab women's silent cries for justice and freedom heard around the world. Dalia was a young, beautiful Arabian Muslim living with her family in Amman, Jordan. At the age of twenty-five, she unexpectedly fell in love with Michael, a major in the Royal Army, and a Catholic. For a Muslim woman, any relationship with a Catholic man is forbidden, and Dalia was only too aware that flouting this rule could cost her her life.
But they were deeply in love, and with the help of Dalia's lifelong friend, Norma, with whom she ran a hair salon, they went to extraordinary lengths to meet in secret. Dalia and Michael were only alone on a handful of occasions, and their relationship remained entirely chaste. Although they covered their tracks meticulously, one of Dalia's brothers became suspicious and she was suddenly gripped by the terrifying reality of what might happen to them all.
Norma Khouri's book is a gift to the memory of her friend. In it she recounts a powerful love story that ends in an appalling tragedy, and also attempts to bring to the world's attention the continuing practice of honor killing in Jordan -- an ancient tradition that encourages the murder of women considered to have dishonored their families. It is a crime that effectively goes unpunished.
Shocking and dramatic, Honor Lost will strike a chord with women everywhere and is a testimony to the courage and strength of women who are prepared to defy generations of male dominance.
Synopsis
In many ways, Norma and Dalia were no different from any other girls living in the Middle East. They lived under the watchful eye of their fathers and brothers, and were expected to help their mothers cook and clean. One day, they were expected to marry men of honor, not unlike their male relatives.
What set them apart was a plan: to open a hair salon that would allow them to work outside the house and give them respite from the heavy burdens placed upon them by their ancient culture. Working together, they fulfill their dream and soon are able to revel in the shop's success. That is, until Michael, a young Catholic man in the Royal Guard, walks into the salon. From the moment he lays eyes on Dalia, their lives are changed forever in ways none of them could have anticipated. What follows is the heart-wrenching account of Dalia's romance with Michael, and its devastating consequences to them both.
Ultimately a farewell tribute to Dalia, who died at the hands of her own father, Honor Lost is both a stirring plea against the practice of honor killing and a modern-day look at the tragic consequences of star-crossed romance.
Synopsis
In the bestselling tradition of "Stolen Lives, " Khouri presents a powerful story of love set in the Middle East, while at the same time makes a stirring plea against the practice of honor killing in this modern-day look at the tragic consequences of star-crossed romance.
About the Author
Norma Khouri is a poet and the author of short fiction. As a result of the events recounted in
Honor Lost (which was written secretly in an Internet café), she was forced to emigrate to Athens. She now lives in Australia.
The author is donating a portion of her royalties to women's organizations working to outlaw honor crimes.