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Happiness in the Lion’s Mouth

About the vastness of life in a narrow world

Nabila and Ali have been married for 45 years. But when Fairuz’ love songs on the radio float through her kitchen, Nabila rather thinks of her first love, a Syrian migrant worker. Even though she didn’t leave her mountain village with him at the time, she has felt a deep longing ever since. Now that her daughters have left home, the old longing feeling is back and Nabila sends Ali a message on Facebook. He doesn’t recognise his wife behind the pseudonym and she doesn’t let on, so a long and surprising conversation unfolds between the old, stubborn couple. A touching tale of a strong-willed woman holding on to her inner independence.

  • Perfect for readers of Rabih Alameddine, Marjan Kamali and Maggie O’Farrell
  • Haneen Al-Sayegh is an upcoming, award-winning author in the Arab world
Genre: Literary Fiction, Fiction

Haneen Al-Sayegh

Haneen Al-Sayegh, born in 1986 in Lebanon, studied English Literature at the American University of Beirut and works as a lecturer and translator. Her debut novel ‘The Invisible Tie’ was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. She lives in Beirut and Berlin.

Hamed Abdel-Samad

Hamed Abdel-Samad studied English, French, Japanese and Political Science. He has worked for UNESCO and held a professorship in Islamic Studies at the University of Erfurt and at the Institute for Jewish History and Culture at the University of Munich. As a result of his taboo-breaking autobiography an official fatwa was placed on him in 2013. Since then, he has lived under permanent police protection.

304 pages, ISBN: 978-3-423-28525-4
First published 2026