Rebirth

by Antoun Issa

Antoun Issa powerfully captures his mother's true experiences of love, heartbreak and new hope during the violence of civil war.

Beirut, 1974. Laila Khalil has just come of age for marriage. The eldest of five in a poor Catholic family, Laila knows that she must fulfil her family's expectations. But her heart is drawn to the handsome Nicolas, a coiffeur at a local hair salon. Dodging the watchful eyes in their patriarchal society, particularly those of Laila's domineering father, the two young lovers begin a tender romance. Soon, they begin to make plans for marriage.

But Laila's dreams are dashed when the Lebanese Civil War breaks out.

Shells whir overhead as Laila's family are caught in heavy clashes between the Christian Phalangists and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. When tragedy strikes, Laila watches all her hopes wither to ash. But just as life seems its darkest, a lifeline presents the prospect of migration to a faraway land called Australia.

Rebirth brings to light a young woman's extraordinary journey through war, tragedy, migration and renewal.

336 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 25, 2026

Reviews

[Hawraa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is deeply intimate and tender storytelling of a grueling part of Lebanon's history. Told through the lens of the people, families, civilians, at the heart of conflict and strife, with intersecting themes of home, indigeneity, class, heritage, and gender. This is a reclamation of a story that has often been told by others, centering violent politics, seldom giving space to the impact on human lives, in their day to day, and how trauma manifests in the home.

Grounded in historical facts, Issa tells his mother's story with clarity, and an attempt to answer the question many in the diaspora find themselves asking, "what is our place in this world". This is a rightfully earned ode to the matriarchs of history.

[Dimitri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cried through the last chapter. I cried through the epilogue. I even cried through the acknowledgments!

That line… “here in this land, our stomachs are fed while our hearts go hungry” …. it broke me.

A line that describes the yearning felt by every child in the diaspora.

This is such a beautiful and honourable story of love for our mothers, our ancestors, our lands, our heritage and our search for identity.

I cried.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, heart breaking, and harrowing read. Wonderful writing that engagingly captures Antoun’s mother’s experiences.

[ValTheBookEater]

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