A Beirut Heart: One Woman's War

A Beirut Heart: One Woman's War

As a young woman Cathy Sultan dreamed of living in a foreign land. She realized that dream in 1969 when she move with her Lebanese husband and two infant children from the United States to Beirut- a city known for its welcoming residents, breathtaking landscape and cosmopolitan culture. Sultan quickly grew to adore Beirut despite its seedy side, and came to think of it as her dysfunctional lover. Even after the onset of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975 her feelings were slow to change. Using cooking as a tranquilizer, Sultan worked tirelessly to provide a home environment that was comforting to her family and inviting to friends. Even as bullets pierced her own kitchen and bombs destroyed the ancient city and the lives of loved ones, she and her family refused to be driven from their home and their humanity. A Beirut Heart: One Woman's War is the riveting story of how a wife and mother struggled to maintain order and normality amid the unspeakable cruelty of civil war. Winner, Book USA ’s Best Books of 2006 Autobiography Award " A Beirut Heart: One Woman’s War is an unpredictable memoir of a family whose choices tied them to disruptions and dangers of life on that city’s infamous Green Line." —Sarah Harder, President, National Peace Foundation “There is nothing like an intelligent woman, spouse and mother of small children to carry one into the midst of war, with its horrors as well as its capacity for soul-building.” —David Burrell, Professor in Philosophy and Theology, University of Notre Dame; and Director, Tantur Ecumenical Institute, Jerusalem “Ms. Sultan’s story demonstrates the biological imperative that drives the human spirit when we must function and persevere in unthinkable circumstances.” —Donald Mash, Former Chancellor, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire "Cathy has combined a dramatic story of life in the Lebanese capital with the complexities of Middle Eastern politics." —Don Betz, PhD, Chancellor, University of Wisconsin-River Falls “Sultan writes a compelling story of survival … This is a must-read for everyone with any interest in what happens to a family under siege.” —Colleen McElroy, Professor of English, University of Washington, Seattle Cathy Sultan, a native of Washington D.C., is also the author of Israeli and Palestinian Voices: A Dialogue with Both Sides (Scarletta Press, 2006) and Tragedy in South Lebanon: The Israeli-Hezbollah War of 2006 (Scarletta Press, 2008). She sits on the Executive Board of the National Peace Foundation, where she directs Middle East educational projects. She is also involved with “Women in Black,” a group that stands in silent vigil to protest war, ethnic cleansing and human rights abuses. She and her husband currently live in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Used Book in Good Condition