Thérèse Soukar Chehade in Person

Set during the early years of Lebanon's fifteen-year civil war, We Walked On immerses readers in the landscape of war, weaving political unrest into everyday life. With Hisham, a thirty-year-old Arabic teacher, and Rita, his fourteen-year-old student, Chehade has created two richly drawn characters who counter violence with the redemptive power of books and human connection and find authentic hope in untenable circumstances. We Walked On is a timely novel that examines the power of war to pervert our moral sense and asks if peace is ever possible in an unjust world.

Born in Beirut, Thérèse Soukar Chehade moved to the United States in August 1983, eight years after the start of the civil war. Her first novel, Loom, won the 2011 Arab American Book Award in fiction. She lives in Granby, Massachusetts.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Odyssey Bookshop, 9 College Street, South Hadley, United States