Coffee with Hezbollah Book

"On September 17, 2006, Amelia and I found ourselves on the border between Syria and Lebanon, drinking orange soda with the Syrian border guards. It was 34 days after the end of the 34-day war between Lebanon and Israel, and the sun was shining. . ." Thus begins a hitchhiking trip like no other. Two young ladies - "an American and a Pole with a Green Card" - tour Lebanon's postwar landscape, thumbs leading the way. Impromptu tour guides are found in passing motorists, ranging from Maronite shoppers to Shia militiamen to Druze hotel employees-slash-philosophers, with the Lebanese army and the United Nations force chipping in, as well. Lebanon's political geography proves as diverse as its physical, and each kilometer traveled adds another dimension to the complex web of national identity. With her uniquely satirical voice, Fernández uses the hitchhiking journey as a vehicle for often hilarious commentary on domestic, regional, and global politics, with great emphasis placed on US and Israeli contributions at various levels. Spanning two and a half months and incorporating bits of Turkey, Syria, and Jordan, Coffee with Hezbollah is a new take on the age-old quest for knowledge and adventure.Read More