The Broken Wings by Kahlil Gibran

Review by: Catherine Evans Joseph

The short
A 20th Century tragic love story set in Beirut.

The long
This poetic novel describes the love between two individuals, Gibran & Selma, which ends tragically. Gibran explains his unconditional love for Selma, a beautiful & oriental modern woman, ahead of her time. However, due to societal constrictions and norms, their love is forbidden and Selma is forced to marry another man. The book then takes us onto an emotional journey, which unveils how these individuals are drown in sorrow and emotional torture of not being able to enjoy their love.

To read or not to read?
The book is such an easy read with only less than 100 pages. There is so much depth in the characters, and the manner to which the story unfolds makes it hard to put the book down. It will remind you of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” with a Middle Eastern twist  and poetic prose by Kahlil Gibran.