The Refugee Ocean
The Refugee Ocean by Pauls Toutonghi, published by Simon and Schuster on October 8, 2024, is a 352-page work written in English. This narrative intertwines the lives of two refugees across different eras, exploring their connections through the challenges posed by history and a significant piece of music. The story begins with Marguerite Toutounghi, born in Beirut in 1922, who yearns for a life beyond her constraints. Her journey takes her from Lebanon to Cuba, where she seeks love and a fresh start amid turmoil.
Readers will discover the poignant experiences of Naïm Rahil, a teenage refugee from Aleppo, who grapples with his identity and aspirations after fleeing war. The novel spans various locations, including Lebanon, Havana, and Washington, DC, and delves into themes of friendship, resilience, and the immigrant experience. Through its rich historical context and emotional depth, The Refugee Ocean presents a layered exploration of how art and music can serve as sources of healing and connection in the face of adversity.
Official synopsis Publisher
Two refugees find that their lives are inextricably linked—over time and distance—by the perils of history and a single haunting piece of music in this “breathtaking and simultaneously heartbreaking” (The Montecito Journal) story.
Born in Beirut in 1922, Marguerite Toutounghi lives a life of loss and sacrifice. She dreams of traveling Europe and studying music at the Conservatoire de Paris but her family—and her society—hold her back. When she meets the son of a Cuban tobacco farmer at a formal dance, love transforms her life. Together with him, she flees across the Atlantic Ocean. She’s hoping for a new beginning, she finds revolution and chaos.
Over fifty years later, Naïm Rahil is a teenage refugee from Aleppo, Syria. A former piano prodigy who struggles to thrive in America—and who has lost part of his hand in the war—he dreams of a simple normal life.
Moving from Aleppo on the brink of civil war, to Lebanon in the late 1940s, to Havana during the Cuban Revolution, to the suburbs of Washington, DC, The Refugee Ocean “is an exquisite…poignant, and layered novel” (Eleanor Shearer, author of River Sing Me Home) that grapples with what it means to be an immigrant, shows how wounds can heal, and highlights the role of music and art in the resilience of the human spirit.
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