Books like A house at the edge of tears by Vénus Khoury-Ghata
Set in Beirut’s tenement district, the novel follows a boy who is beaten by his father for masturbating in his sleep.
The family’s trauma is amplified by neighbors who claim he has attempted to rape his sisters, turning domestic violence into a communal scandal.
Through the eldest sister’s brutal yet lyrical narration, the story examines how the house’s dysfunction mirrors the country's own disintegration, all framed by the image of a pomegranate tree that weeps blood‑red fruit.
First publish date: 2005
Genre: Family & Domestic Fiction/Family Saga
Authors: Vénus Khoury-Ghata
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