Literature about Lebanon: Learning from Beirut

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one – and then? Then comes the ignition, and the rocket rises into the air. First majestically slow, then ever faster. Or the countdown is for an explosion – and something blows up. Pierre Jarawan's novel "Woman in the Moon" is about both a rocket launch and an explosion, both taking place in Lebanon : On August 4, 1966, the Cedar 8 ascended 200 kilometers into the air, reaching space. Exactly 54 years later, on August 4, 2020, 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in the port of Beirut, but no one counted down: The material had been carelessly stored and caught fire during welding work. The city center of Lebanon's capital was devastated, 200 people died, 7,000 were injured, and 300,000 were left homeless. Who was responsible for the most violent detonation in human history – atomic bombs excluded – has not yet been clarified.