Why a Booktrail?
1980s: The author’s personal experience of the Lebanon conflict
A Girl Made of Dust
What you need to know before your trail
A rich and beautiful novel set during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the early 1980s, and based on the author’s personal experiences of the conflict.
This is a novel with tremendous heart, which captures both a country and a childhood in turmoil.
Eight-year-old Ruba lives in a village outside Beirut. From her family home, she can see the buildings shimmering on the horizon and the sea stretched out beside them. She can also hear the rumble of the shelling – this is Lebanon in the 1980s and civil war is tearing the country apart.
Travel Guide
Travel to Lebanon’s 1980s conflict
The book is set in Lebanon in the early 1980’s. This time was one of turmoil, both politically and geographically as the war with Israel was tearing the country apart. Several factions in the country sided with the government and others did not.
This book looks at the war, the effects of war and the reality of living in a bombed out city. Ten year old Ruba is the narrator here and we see the war through her eyes. She and her family spend their lives, dodging bullets and trying to survive day to day. They walk through rubble every day and see the destruction of their beloved homeland.
Muslims and Christians used to live side by side, but now Muslims are the enemy. This is a devastating look at a country and a people suffering.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: A Girl Made of Dust
Destination: Lebanon, Beirut Author/guide: Nathalie Abi-Ezzi Departure: 1980s
Back to ResultsWhere Next?
