A prodigious French poet of Christian and Lebanese descent, Andree Chedid was a writer who questioned humanity, individuality, and the interconnected ties that bond a person to the rest of the world. Her 1983 novel, From Sleep Unbound, is a work that explores these very same themes, delving into a single woman's struggle with the depths of despair, but also the rays of hope and rebirth.
From Sleep Unbound is about a girl named Samya, an Egyptian Catholic woman who was taken at 15 years old to be forced into a loveless marriage. Disconnected from all of her former friends and family, Samya is forced to struggle alone, languishing in the sorrow of her solitary, pitiful, existence. However, when Samya truly looks into her soul, and realizes her mental resilience, she is able to become a woman of greatly renewed power and strength.
From Sleep Unbound showcases all the ingenuity and human empathy that made Andree Chedid such a powerful writer. The novel explores the powerful and realistic themes of human resilience in times of despair, as well as specifically the mental fortitude of a woman determined to control her own life.
