Daughters of the Same Secret
Lebanon

Daughters of the Same Secret

by Haneen Al-Sayegh

Women & Society Literary Fiction Fiction 2026

Summary

In a secluded Druze village in Lebanon’s Mount Lebanon mountains, Amal dreams of a life beyond the boundaries her family and community have drawn for her. Her father, a religious shaykh and blacksmith, believes he has the right to shape the futures of his four daughters. But Amal longs to pursue higher education and study English literature at the American University of Beirut. When a wealthy local businessman offers her a possible way out, she makes a bargain that promises freedom but brings new complications. As marriage, motherhood, and social expectations threaten to consume her ambitions, Amal must find the courage to claim ownership of her life. Poetic and deeply moving, this novel explores the hidden struggles of women caught between tradition and independence, revealing the quiet acts of resistance that can transform generations.

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About the author
Haneen Al-Sayegh
Haneen Al-Sayegh

Haneen Al-Sayegh is an award-winning Lebanese poet and novelist born in 1986 in Mount Lebanon. She studied English literature at the American University of Beirut and works as a lecturer and literary translator. Before turning to fiction, she published three poetry collections: Let It Be (2016), Old Soul (2018), and Beacons to Mislead Time (2021). Her debut novel, originally published in Arabic as ميثاق النساء in 2023, explores the lives of women in Lebanon’s Druze community and their struggles with tradition, religious expectations, and personal freedom. The novel was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2025, bringing international attention to her sensitive portrayal of a little-known community. Al-Sayegh has received the Naji Naaman Literary Award for her writing. She lives between Beirut and Berlin.

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Details
Published
2026
Author
Haneen Al-Sayegh