Origins: A Memoir

Amin Maalouf's biographical narrative on the history of his family reads like one of his many well-written books. Maalouf's books, with no exception, can not only transport you back in time, but also acclimatise you with foreign lands in which you have never set foot. Such is the effect of his writing that I can easily conjure up vivid images of an Ottoman Lebanese village from the late nineteenth century. Maalouf's interest in his own origins, and its impact on his writings is made known when he reveals in one of the chapters how a story of a cousin who goes on a hunger-strike to challenge family's objection to his desire to further pursue his studies has inspired the story of the struggle through which the main protagonist in his book, The Rock of Tanios, had to go through. The Maaloufs may have led a very ordinary life, but the presentation of their lives and the branching out that had subsequently occurred within the family, allowing it to stretch throughout various continents is what makes it an extraordinary story. Moreover, the author's personal journey, both emotional and physical, to trace the lives of great-uncles and great-grandfathers relying solely on surviving correspondences that were saved by family gives the narrative an intense edge, transforming it into a scintillating cinematic spectacle in the mind's eye of the reader. The book, unfortunately, ends too soon before the reader's curiosity is satiated. We are made aware that the author's primary source and window on the past was his father, but there is little said about Rushdi, whose name is mentioned only once in the book. I wonder, will the author follow this one with a sequel? I do hope so. Origins is very original and enjoyable. I suddenly feel a strong and intimate belonging to the village of Machrah. Lebanon is the land of mythical real-life stories and brilliant story-tellers.

This is a fascinating personal history of a Lebanese family and its emigration to various countries and continents in the world. The Maalouf family's story parallels so many other families in the world that experience a kind of diaspora caused by hardships of one kind or another: economic issues, family conflicts and war. The story of the author's search for information backed up with his own travels to various sites including the USA and Cuba is another fascinating backdrop to the memoir. He is able to connect his family to Maaloufs living in Utah and Texas today. Anyone who enjoys learning about history through personal memoirs will appreciate this book.

Tasteful choice of words, clear, and great order of events. Very smooth. All these great things however, are in the background. The biggest impression on me, was how he describes the mentality of many of us, in a different time and setting. Some of us live, by taking what we need from grandma and grandma, mom and dad, and ready to go "out" to the world. Amin found that there is also a world "in". by "in" I mean, he decided to spend his days getting to know his family members, vice, getting to know friends, teachers, and others. Through his journey of investigation we learn about his family's culture, draw our own conclusions about his family members, and become interested in the found evidence.

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