The mountain and the palm branch, authored by: Dr. Mishari Al-Aswad

Within the pages of this novel, the story does not dwell in a single individual's tale, but echoes of many souls resonate, carrying on their shoulders the burdens of dreams and leaving their homelands in search of a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. It is a lament for the homeland that suffocates in darkness, and a hymn for the dawn that opens the horizon. It is the story of longing that gnaws at the heart whenever the body is far away, but despite its harshness, it bestows upon its bearer a resilience that cannot be broken. With "Al-Toud and Al-‘Arjoun," you will embark on a journey oscillating between pain and hope; between the campuses of Cairo University and the echo of the revolution in the streets of Egypt, and between the alleys of Alexandria witnessing the secrets of the sea, and the memory of Kuwait that pursues him wherever he goes. You will feel the awe of decisions that change a person's destiny, taste the pleasure of postponed hope, and learn that reaching is not a station but a renewed determination no matter how many obstacles arise. "Al-Toud and Al-‘Arjoun" is a story about expatriation... and a human acknowledgment that when a dream is lived sincerely, it turns into a compass that never deviates, and into a fire beneath the ashes that never dies out. It is a biography of pain that embraces joy, and of loss that opens the way toward meaning. A journey you will not only read... but one that will dwell within you and reshape your soul.