The Hour of Abandonment

Author: Abbas Beydoun

In a Lebanese town bordering the frontier strip, Salah, Nadim, Fawaz, and the rest of their leftist comrades feel defeated and powerless. The Israeli army is preparing to enter, and Palestinian organizations have withdrawn towards the capital. An extremist group calling itself "The Vigilance" asserts control over the streets, declaring its intention to confront the enemy forces. The young men in the final hour before the occupation are preoccupied with their small wars, as Salim Houmed, a town resident, is abducted by a splinter organization. In an attempt to free him, a fierce battle erupts between comrades in arms, resulting in dead and wounded. Through the destinies of its characters, oscillating between grand illusions and personal defeats, the novel exposes the falsity of slogans and resistance narratives. In the name of innocence, foolish acts are committed, and in the name of martyrdom, people become butchers.