The Illusion of Return

After 17 years, the narrator and his friend, Ali, meet at Heathrow and slowly remember their past in Lebanon. Their memories are concentrated on one fatal night when they were with two other friends for the last time, before tragedy struck. But for the na

Praise for Samir El-Youssef's "The Illusion of Return"


"[A] vivid portrait of life in wartime Lebanon, and the temporary refuge provided by friends... poignant and evocative."
--"The Economist
"
"El-Youssef is unflinchingly critical of aspects of his society ... the novel attempts to reveal a more complex human reality behind the smokescreen of tales of heroism and martyrdom."
--"Guardian
"
"A nuanced, thought-provoking look at this world, free of easy, political answers."
--"New Statesman
"
"A stirring book."
--"Financial Times"

Samir El-Youssef is Palestinian and was born in Rashidia, a refugee camp in Lebanon. His essays and reviews have appeared in Guardian, New Statesman, Washington Post, Jewish Quarterly as well as the Arabic Al-Hayat. He has been living in North London sinc

After 17 years, the narrator and his friend, Ali, meet at Heathrow and slowly remember their past in Lebanon. Their memories are concentrated on one fatal night when they were with two other friends for the last time, before tragedy struck. But for the na

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