Sabra Zoo (24 page)

‘What're you laughing at?' asked Youssef.

‘Was I laughing?'

The rattle of the drinks trolley was a welcome distraction. I asked for another vodka and some ice from the stewardess and handed over my two empty miniatures. I didn't get any peanuts this time round, just a less impersonal smile (I liked to think) than before. The Dane to my left had turned the page of the newspaper and I caught sight of a headline with Bob's name in it. I tried to read the article but the newspaper was moving. The man folded it up and handed it to me, smiling.

‘Maybe you'd like to read it? I've finished,' he said.

My eyes pricked at this tiny act of kindness. It was strange, lately the smallest sentiment brought me to tears. From the newspaper I learnt that Bob had won an award – something that cameramen give to other cameramen – for his footage of the massacre. Bob was quoted in the piece as saying that ‘it is ironic that the footage in question cannot be shown on television due to its graphic nature'.

Youssef had discovered the button that reclined his seat and was seeing how far back it would go. With it all the way back I could see a middle-aged Lebanese woman behind, her make-up over-applied, a large gold cross at her throat. She glared at me and asked if I couldn't control ‘the boy'. I turned away, pressing Youssef's seat button so that he was propelled upright and the woman disappeared from view.

‘Aren't you going to eat that?' he asked, pointing at my unopened food.

‘No, you can have it.'

I took a big mouthful of cold vodka, holding the liquid in my mouth as long as I could before swallowing. It numbed my tongue and burnt my throat.

 

 

 

 

MISCHA HILLER
, of English-Palestinian descent, was born in England in 1962 and grew up in London, Dar es Salaam and Beirut.
Sabra Zoo
won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book in the Europe and South Asia category in 2011. Mischa also won the 2009 European Independent Film Festival script competition for his adaptation of the book. His second novel,
Shake Off
, was published to critical acclaim in 2011. He lives with his family in Cambridge.

‘It is a tremendous accomplishment to turn the messy and horrific events of the Lebanese civil war and the massacre of Sabra and Shatila into a work of art. Mischa Hiller succeeds in weaving a remarkable novel that is told by an eighteen year old narrator who doubtless will rank high amongst the great characters in world literature.' Raja Shehadeh

‘Beautifully told, ambitious and important, this is a debut with something to say.' Ronan Bennett

‘Time seems suspended; senses are heightened. Worldly-wise though innocent, Ivan is drawn to older Norwegian physiotherapist Eli and enraged orphan Youssef; just two of the exhausted, impassioned characters in Hiller's stunning, defiant debut.'
Guardian
First Novels Roundup

‘A chilling rites-of-passage novel set in Beirut in 1982 during the killings in the camps.'
The Economist

‘Hiller brings to his works not only a craftsman's skill but also a compassion for his characters that proves infectious.'
Haaretz

‘This darkly humorous, often harrowing novel demonstrates that in the chaos of conflict there are no easy or obvious decisions.'
Metro

‘In its memorialising of the 1982 massacres, Hiller's fiction joins great Arabic novels such as
Love in Exile
by Bahaa Taher … and Elias Khoury's
Gate of the Sun
.'
Guardian

‘A moving debut … Hauntingly written, with a wonderful touch for human feelings … If Hiller can reproduce its beauty and strength he will be a name to conjure with.'
Daily Mail

‘[An] impressive Bildungsroman … Hiller's evocation of the war through a teenager's eyes gives this novel both depth and gravitas … This novel reminds us that even the chaos of war can't thwart the complexities of the human spirit and the mysteries of love.'
Literary Review

‘In
Sabra Zoo
, a fresh, new, translucent voice narrates post-invasion Beirut, adding a personal dimension to realistic portrayal of actual events.'
Jordan Times

‘A searing and accomplished novel … Hiller delineates his characters with skill, and the dialogue is expertly pitched.'
Saudi Gazette

‘Massacres usually don't make enjoyable reads. Yet, in
Sabra Zoo
, a compelling storyline is set against the terror-filled backdrop of one of the Middle East's worst slaughters in recent history.'
Esquire Middle East