I wanted to write The Exile to pay tribute to my mother, who, against all odds, did not have a husband and the means to make ends meet. In the Middle East region and at a time when women were utterly helpless, my mother overcame all obstacles and survived for the welfare of her only child.

In The Two Continents , I wanted to tell the story of my country of origin, Lebanon, which sank for 15 years in an absurd and deadly civil war where the belligerents showed boundless hostility. The religious, political, ethnic and military power should respect the minority, and above all protect the weak and the needy. The greatest victims of all acts of ethnic and religious cleansing are often civilians, especially women and children. The wound inflicted by this war is too deep and will take several generations to heal.  

Fate spared me the pangs of the '' Lebanonization '' war of my home country, once known as the pearl of the Middle East. The same good fortune allowed me to emigrate to Canada, which became my beloved country. This was not the case with my friends Sami and Johnny who lived through this dark period from 1975 to 1990.

I wanted to tell their story in order to salute the suffering and the courage shown by the Lebanese people, as well as to all of the victims of fratricidal wars, mainly ethnic and religious aggression.

I also wanted to revive the memory of all the victims of cruel and savage genocides. Let’s remember the genocide of the Armenian people, still denied by the largely responsible Turkish state; and which seems to have fallen into oblivion.

It must be remembered that the fundamental message conveyed by Christian, Jewish or Muslim religions is a message of love, respect, solidarity and generosity, and not hatred, domination, violence and revenge.

The Survivors' Ball, the last chapter of the trilogy of the '' Memoirs'', should come one day to close the loop.

Good reading,

The author