Trapped in Four Square Miles
is a gripping and inspiring story about how to assert yourself and break through normalizing norms and burdens of geopolitical and cultural boundaries. It offers a way forward.
"More than educational, your book is a primer of human awareness that circulates in the midst of the chaos of violence. Thank you for sharing a much bigger and more profound insight with the rest of us."-
Bishop William Swing, Episcopal Bishop of California 1980 - 2006 & President and Founder of United Religions Initiative.
"An apt comparison to
The Kite Runner.
A page burner of a story." -
Roger R. Baumgarte Author of Friends Beyond Borders.
This is the riveting story of young Rami, a young man forced to grow up in the middle of Lebanon's civil war and the sole survivor of a terrible massacre. Rami vows revenge against the perpetrators but when a vigilante orders him to shoot, he cannot. His younger brother pulls the trigger instead and becomes a hero, rising through the ranks of the local militias while exploiting Rami's change of heart. Rami falls in love with Sophia, a Westernized college student. But the self-appointed sharia enforcers drag him and his girlfriend from his car and chop off their hair.
As West Beirut devolves into hell, Sophia's family emigrates to America. Rami vows to follow his girlfriend, but will the American gatekeepers admit him, or is he doomed to a life of chronic despair?
"A powerful and provocative novel. The book is full of authentic cultural details and tough unsparing insights. It's also full of compassion and humanity, ultimately suggesting a way out of the seemingly endless cycle of violence."
- Jeff Jackson Author of Mira Corpora.
"A rare insight into the vast complexities of Middle Eastern demographics, politics, policies, and religious perspectives...a redemptive way forward."
- Dr. David Jordan Author of Subversive Words.