Book Review: Rana Hanna’s Birds in the Rain
A few months ago, I met my dear friend Joumana Rizk over coffee and a quick catch-up. Joumana, who heads Mirros Communications , handed me a manilla envelope with a gift inside. I slipped my hand in and pulled out newly published novel Birds in the Rain by first-time author Rana Hanna. I promised Joumana I’d read it, and boy was it easy to keep that promise (which admittedly is a big ask these days, as I find myself unable to commit to reading books given my frenetic schedule). Birds in the Rain by Rana Hanna (published by Bold Story Press, 2025) I inhaled Rana’s book, unable to put it down late-night when I should have been ceding to slumber. Over the course of a few evenings, I followed the narratives of Layla, a young widow grieving her husband’s death as she raises her son Michael. Each chapter is titled by the point of view through which it is narrated, spanning Layla, Michael, Jeddo (Layla’s father and hence Michael’s grandfather), and Marc (a trustworthy friend of Layla who is ...