About this item

Hadi and Sama are a young Syrian couple flying high on a whirlwind love, dreaming up a life in the country that brought them together. She had come to Boston years before chasing dreams of a bigger life; he'd landed there as a sponsored refugee from a bloody civil war. Now, they are giddily awaiting the birth of their son, a boy whose native language would be freedom and belonging. When Sama is five months pregnant, Hadi's father dies suddenly in Jordan, the night before his visa appointment at the embassy. Hadi flies back for the funeral, promising his wife that he'll only be gone for a few days. On the day his flight is due to arrive in Boston, Sama is waiting for him at the airport, eager to bring him back home. But as the minutes and then hours pass, she continues to wait, unaware that Hadi has been stopped at the border and detained for questioning, trapped in a timeless, nightmarish limbo.



About the Author

Yara Zgheib

Yara is a writer, poet, traveler, lover of art and jazz. She was born in Beirut and has pieces of her heart in Paris, London, Boston, and one particularly beautiful Tuscan village.She is the author of two novels, "The Girls at 17 Swann Street" and "No Land to Light On," and two collections of poetry in the albums "Dust and Ions," and "City Rhapsodies, Vol. I". Also, every Thursday, she posts an essay on "The non-Utilitarian:" thoughts on art and life. Her writings are neither practical nor useful. They are a way of being. Find them at yarazgheib.comHer writing has also appeared in The Huffington Post, Lithub, The Four Seasons Magazine, HOLIDAY, Glimmer Train, The European, and elsewhere.



Read Next Recommendation

Report incorrect product information.