A Broken String

About this book

In the old city of Sidon, among white houses and lanes scented with spice and jasmine, a girl named Zumurruda reveals an extraordinary voice. Singing is both her instinct and her refuge. Recognizing the scale of her talent, her uncle helps her leave for Beirut and study at an institute of Arab music, where the purity and strength of her voice quickly distinguish her. Yet talent alone cannot make the journey safe. Discipline, sacrifice, and endurance are required in a world whose admiration can be as unforgiving as its neglect. Mohamed El-Sayed Ramadan follows the ascent of an Arab artist while quietly foreshadowing the tragedy that will interrupt it. A Broken String is a novel about artistic passion, fragile success, and the sudden ways a radiant life can be silenced.