No Lipstick in Lebanon

by Paul Timblick, Fasika Sorssa

Meron Lemma couldn't know there was a fate worse than wasting away as a poor teenager in the Ethiopian slum where she was born. Desperate to create her own destiny, and drawn by the irresistible possibility of earning real dollars as a maid in Beirut, Meron leaves her devout mother and family behind to join the many other Habesha migrants searching for a better life in the Middle East. Only once there does she realize the ugly instead of opportunity, she has found captivity. Trapped and mistreated by the harsh Madame, Meron lives in constant fear for her spirit and even her life. Rich in cultural detail and exposing the ongoing, under-reported horrors facing domestic workers in Lebanon today, this is a harrowing account of the unremitting hell of modern slavery. This is not just a fictionalized report of one maid's ordeal, but rather the uncovering of a larger issue plaguing a generation of women.

416 pages, Hardcover

First published January 24, 2014

About the author

Son of a Fleet Street journalist, Paul Timblick has travelled the world exploring other cultures and teaching English. The last fifteen years have taken him to Peru – which in 2011 inspired his first book, Perune Juice, an autobiographical tale underpinned by humour and history – Greece, Venezuela, China, Spain and finally Ethiopia.

Fascinated by Ethiopian society, it is there that he met his wife, Fasika Sorssa. It is her own riveting ordeal that serves as the basis for No Lipstick in Lebanon. Now married with two children, together they have turned her real-life story into a novel.

Reviews

[Meeka · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Lipstick in Lebanon did a wonderful job of introducing us to the world of human exploitation. It provided a point of view not often heard of and allowed us to see the main character's layered problems and resolutions. We were able to read about the struggling migrant traveling abroad in search of bountiful employment, the young women choosing domestic work and financial security over freedom, and the young East African girl and how she relates to men, poverty, and her personal goals. It's a story that must be told because its an issue impacting millions worldwide.

Overall the storyline was interesting. There was a couple times that I found myself at the edge of my seat, cheering, or near tears. I enjoy the emotional rollercoaster.

One critique I have is the lack of growth among the characters. The main character is very likeable and witty but she didnt make any major growth throughout all she had been through. Minor characters with issues that interested me never received any resolution or closure. I didnt understand how she continued to be polite with the family she worked with. I didnt understand her relationship with Shareef, he was abusive and she was still having romantic feelings for him? Why did Abdoul say very racist things about her and in the end became her friend, if they would have shown him grow or realize the error of his ways it would make sense but he didnt. She just never brought it up again. The author doesnt go in depth enough about how racism and poverty go hand in hand. Most of characters were flawed but there was no redeeming features about them which made it difficult to form any real relationship with them. There was literally no positive Ethiopian male character and every issue encountered was very passive. The book told a story but I guess i was hoping for more....soul.

[Taveri · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Be Careful What You Wish For" might be the moral of this story of a sixteen year old Ethopian girl going to 'exotic' Beirut to be a maid for a wealthy dysfunctional Lebanese extended family in their penthouse apartment. It was akin to family sit-com except for the cruelty and constant fear of being raped or thrown off the balcony, like the previous maid.

Meron leaves Addis, where she has bland but adequate food, with a falsfied birth certificate, where she nearly starves, even begrudged even eating a banana; every morsel of food is monitered. It is not adequately explained how her mother lets her go on this prison-like misadventure and I couldn't connect with the interspersed chapters of the backstory, that gave a sense of what her chlidhood was like.

However I was caught up in the daily cleaning chores as beautiful blonde madame inspects the floor with white socks and screams everytime Meron uses the word "but" (expecting it be purged from her vocabulary) and is never allowed a day off. One time she escapes only to find even her embassy won't help her - like governments everywhere.

[Rayann Bekdache · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the issues this book explored. Domestic servitude is something we do not here enough about and to read about Meron's experiences made me shudder. I am sure her story is based on real people's experiences. I could not help wondering whether the portrayal of the Lebanese Muslim family, in particular, the son, was Orientalist in that he is characterised as a lustful, sex crazed and domineering male. Otherwise, more awareness is needed about the plight of maids working in Lebanon and thoughout the Arabic speaking countries.