A Beggar at Damascus Gate

Book excerpt: Fiction. Middle Eastern Studies. "Cold and alone in an ancient Palestinian village, a travelling archeologist finds the threads of a narrative that will direct his life for the coming decade. Its characters are a Palestinian woman and an English man, each deeply commited to the conflicting demands of love and national loyalties. As the narrator slowly pieces together the fate of two unfortunate lovers, he also uncovers a tale of treachery, duplicity and passion that highlights the contemporary plight of the enormous number of displaced Palestinians. Their final resolution surprises them both and reveals a depth to their committments that neither had previously realized"--Cole Swenson.