The Fragile Mask

About this book

Nihad grows up under a father who treats emotion as an obstacle and intelligence as a weapon. She learns to survive by perfecting a mask of strength until she can barely remember the face beneath it. A mysterious message from Asim breaks the seal on her silence, exposing childhood trauma, her father Abdel Hadi Saqr's rigid influence, and the suffering of a mother forced into submission. Moving through courtrooms, memory, and psychological suspense, the novel asks whether Nihad can face the truth without losing the identity that once protected her.