The Lord
Palestine

The Lord

by Soraya Antonius

Colonialism Historical Fiction Fiction 2025

Summary

In British-ruled Palestine, a charismatic young man named Tareq becomes a figure of mystery and resistance. After leaving school, he travels from village to village as a magician, performing astonishing feats that earn him a devoted following. But beneath his extraordinary reputation lies a growing defiance of British colonial authority. As unrest spreads across Palestine and the 1936 Arab Revolt approaches, Tareq’s influence attracts the attention of Challis, a ruthless British police chief determined to crush the resistance. Decades later, amid the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, an English missionary recalls the young man whose fate became intertwined with the history of a nation. Rich in historical detail and vivid depictions of Palestinian society before the Nakba, The Lord explores resistance, colonial power, and the lives of people caught in the struggle for their homeland.

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Country
Palestine
Asia
About the author
Soraya Antonius
Soraya Antonius

Soraya Antonius (1932–2017) was a Palestinian writer, journalist, filmmaker, editor, and cultural activist. Born in Jerusalem during the British Mandate, she was the only child of George Antonius, a prominent Arab intellectual and diplomat, and Katy Nimr, a socialite and philanthropist. She studied at Cheltenham Ladies’ College in England before attending the Slade School of Fine Art in London. Later, she settled in Beirut, Lebanon, where she worked in journalism, publishing, and cultural preservation. Deeply committed to Palestinian history and political representation, Antonius was a founding member of the Fifth of June Society, which sought to educate journalists and the public about Palestine. She also wrote and produced Resistance, Why?, a documentary about the Palestinian revolution. Her two novels, The Lord (1986) and Where the Jinn Consult (1987), explore Palestinian society under British colonial rule, combining historical insight with an examination of power, resistance, and cultural identity. Her writing remains an important contribution to Palestinian literature and the preservation of stories from a world transformed by conflict and displacement.

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Details
Published
2025
Author
Soraya Antonius