On the Relations of the Circle

A stunning portrait of a young orphan living in Beirut on the eve of the Lebanese Civil War

“We need the voice of Elias Khoury – detailed, exquisite, humane – more than ever.” — Naomi Shihab Nye

In the Beirut of Elias Khoury’s first novel, children converse with sparrows, walk with pine trees, and embrace their branches like old companions. A young orphan named Mansour is trying to locate his beginnings. Twelve toes (no ten), a family name, and a father. “Every evening, we retell the story. ...