I picked this up to complete my Read Harder challenge for the year - it fits the task of reading a book with a female protagonist over the age of 60. It's a good example of a book I most likely would not have picked up on my own and I'm so incredibly glad that I did. Aaliya is a self-taught translator and intellectual living in Beirut whose experience of life is more varied and interesting than one would expect for someone who is practically a hermit. The writing is beautiful and sprinkled with references and quotations that span a vast spectrum of literature and philosophy. This book is not plot-driven and it drags a bit in the middle as a result, but I found the ending to be surprisingly satisfying. Recommended for lovers of character studies, excellent prose, and world literature, as well as anyone looking to learn more about the recent history of Beirut through a fictional lens.