virgin marriage

She took her coffee and sat on the balcony, reminiscing about her love life over the past four years, since arriving in Damascus from a village in the mountains of Mount Hermon. She dreamt of the freedom she had read about in Nawal El Saadawi's books, experienced in Ahlam Mosteghanemi's novels, and been captivated by in Nizar Qabbani's poetry. Farah met Jamal the day she returned from Azad's house, a member of the student union, after a wild night celebrating her escape from her Jordanian lover. Azad had reported him to the "e;regional branch"e; on charges of organizing a terrorist group to destabilize the university. Meanwhile, the ousted Jordanian lover had been the hero who saved her from Kamal, the wealthy and arrogant young man who had rescued her from her miserable life with Shadi. Shadi, in turn, had played a leading role in a passionate affair she had lived through, a life that followed her relationship with the extremist Ahmed...