Andrée Chedid, a French poet and novelist of Christian Lebanese descent, explores the human condition and the individual's connection to the world in her work. Her writing seeks to evoke the Orient, yet powerfully denounces the civil war ravaging Lebanon. Possessing a truly multicultural perspective due to her diverse background, her oeuvre represents an eternal quest for humanity. Her literary journey weaves personal reflection with universal themes, offering readers profound insights into fundamental human experiences.
From Sleep Unbound portrays the life of Samya, an Egyptian woman who is taken at age 15 from her Catholic boarding school and forced into a loveless and humiliating marriage. Eventually sundered from every human attachment, Samya lapses into despair and despondence, and finally an emotionally caused paralysis.