All She Lost: The Explosion in Lebanon, the Collapse of a Nation and the Women who Survive

In the aftermath of the devastating August 4, 2020 explosion in Beirut, journalist Dalal Mawad conducted a series of powerful interviews with women in Lebanon, revealing their stories of survival, corruption, and impunity. Through their experiences, Mawad paints a vivid picture of the country's unprecedented collapse and the loss of a part of the Middle East.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 03 August 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Lebanon and the wider Middle East are in crisis, as evidenced by the devastating explosion in Beirut on August 4, 2020, which claimed the lives of hundreds of people. In response to this crisis, journalist Dalal Mawad conducted a series of searing interviews with women in Lebanon, weaving an extraordinary story of survival, corruption, and impunity.

The book, "Women of Beirut: The Untold Story of the Blast," is a powerful and poignant exploration of the lives of these women, who have been long discriminated against and whose stories are often untold. Mawad was in Lebanon when the blast happened and was one of the first journalists to report on the mysterious and devastating explosion.

Through her reporting, Mawad discovered that it is the women who stay behind, and through their stories, the history of the Middle East must be re-constructed. She set out to record the stories of those she met, the women long discriminated against, and those whose stories are untold.

The women in this book all experienced the explosion and suffered unimaginable loss and tragedy, but it is not just this one event that brings them together. Their personal stories converged to tell a broader story of the resilience and strength of women in the face of adversity.

One of the most striking aspects of the book is the way in which the women speak about their experiences and the challenges they face. They talk about the discrimination they face on a daily basis, the lack of opportunities and the violence they encounter.

But they also talk about their resilience and their determination to survive. They share their stories of hope and perseverance, of how they have managed to keep their families together and their communities alive.

The women in this book also offer a critical analysis of the political and social structures that have contributed to their suffering. They point to the corruption and impunity that pervade Lebanese society, and the way in which the government has failed to protect its citizens.

They also talk about the role of the international community in the crisis, and the need for more support and intervention. They call for greater accountability and transparency from the Lebanese government and for the international community to take a more active role in addressing the underlying causes

The women in this book are a testament to the strength and resilience of women in the face of adversity. Their stories are a reminder of the importance of justice and the abuse of power, and of the need for greater accountability and transparency from those in positions of power.

This extraordinary book is essential reading for anyone who cares about justice and the abuse of power, and for anyone who wants to understand the complex and interconnected issues that are shaping the Middle East. It is a powerful and poignant exploration of the lives of these women, and a call to action for the international community to take a more active role in addressing the crisis in Lebanon and the wider Middle East.

Weight: 454g
Dimension: 242 x 160 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399406253