‘The Hakawati’ is a plethora of tales of heroism, magic, death, victory, love, sex, redemption and lies, and just about everything else you can imagine woven into one story about one guy and his family roots. The main character travels back to his childhood home in Beirut to stand watch at his father’s death bed. He joins his sister and various family members and lifelong family friends. The time-line of the main story coincides with the feast of Ed al-Hada, a religious festival celebrated by Muslims and Druze worldwide as a commemoration of Ibrahim’s (Abraham’s) willingness to sacrifice his son, as commanded by Allah.
Since finishing ‘The Hakawati’, I have found myself wishing the story had never ended. I have opened the book and read a passage here and there, just to stay in the story for as long as possible. This book will have a lasting effect on any reader of any genre. Its classic, its modern, its an all around great read! Its a “jump right in” kind of book that will leave you exhausted, yet longing for more! Read the rest
