A woman wakes up in a cold room, wondering if she is alive or dead. In this liminal space—somewhere between life and death, between consciousness and illusion, two characters start a dialogue about their past life. The novel is built around their two alternating male and female voices. They become acquainted through the retelling of their lives during Lebanon’s civil war (1975-1990). The woman recalls past relationships: her love for Franz, then for Zakaria who was an alcoholic, as well as her marriage to a violent man, with whom she emigrated to Belgium. The man is by contrast a much more cynical character: an opportunistic photographer who manipulates and abuses the women he meets as he pursues his social ascension, motivated by a desire for revenge against a man who wronged his father. He has a strange obsession with ants, but his sensitivity for these insects contrasts with his brutality. As they share their stories, the connection between the two characters deepens, but the contrast between their experiences and their perceptions of life and love becomes increasingly evident. The novel delves into complex themes of desire, sexuality, memory, violence, and denial.

Approximate number of pages: 192 p.