Salt Houses

Ten years have passed since the end of the Six-Day War, but Atef continues to struggle with the traumatic memories of his time in an Israeli prison. He survived, but Mustafa did not. Although he has made progress in the years since arriving in Kuwait City, Atef continues to dream about the war, and he cannot shake his strong sense of loss. Still, life is not all bad. He and Alia now have three children. Souad is five, Karam is seven, and Riham is turning nine. On the morning of Riham’s birthday, he plans to buy strawberries for her at the market but stops on the way out of the door to write in his journal. Years ago, when various treatments for his psychological distress did not work, a doctor had suggested writing letters to organize his thoughts. He still does this, addressing each entry to Mustafa.

Atef loves his children, and his home life is full and bustling. He knows that Alia’s favorite among their children is Karam, but his is Riham. He recalls holding her just after she was born and feeling alive for the first time since his release from the Israeli prison.