The Story of Zahra

The novel never names the African country in which Zahra, Hashem, and Majed live. How does this choice reflect the characters’ relationship to their adoptive homeland?

Examine the ending of The Story of Zahra. How does the novel’s ending tie into larger themes of violence? Hopelessness? Powerlessness?

How does abandonment function throughout the narrative? What might it say about Lebanon’s leaders during the Civil War?