A History of the Big House

“A pleasure to read, as [Majdalani] unfurls lyrical sentences and conjures unexpected, poignant images…His fluency with Lebanese history, particularly its cycles of prosperity and ruin, propels the story.” —New York Times Book Review

“Deliberately paced and carefully written: a memorable evocation of a distant but not irrecoverable time.” —Kirkus Reviews

“With a literary style and leisurely flow, French-Lebanese writer Majdalani thoroughly details the narrator’s journey as they meander through 100 years of family history…this lavishly written family saga retains its elegant storytelling through Diver’s translation.” —Booklist

“The cultural and descriptive richness of this account makes for an engaging read.” —Historical Novel Society

“This is what happens when poets write history; Majdalani weaves facts and dreams, the lives of men and nations, real and imagined, the smell of orange trees, of strong, black coffee on a Levantine morning—you can almost taste it. I could see that big house; I recognized it. This book took me home.” —Yara Zgheib, author of No Land to Light On