The Road to Chlifa

Darleen R. Golke is a high-school teacher-librarian in Winnipeg,
Manitoba.

The original French version of this novel won a 1993 Governor
General’s Literary Award, the Alvine Belisle Award, and the
Brive/Montreal Award.

The reader views 17-year-old Karim Nakad through multiple narrators: a
fellow classmate, his diary entries, the author. The story is first set
in Montreal (January to February 1990), then in Lebanon (June 1989), and
then again in Montreal (February to May 1990). Karim’s enrolment at a
Montreal high school triggers a series of events culminating in
violence, which provides the bridge to his experiences in Beirut. In
war-torn Beirut, alone while his parents visit relatives in Montreal,
Karim finds himself immersed in tragedy that begins with the bombing
death of Nada, his romantic interest. Her 12-year-old sister, Maha, and
6-month-old brother, Jad, engage Karim’s help in a dangerous journey
to safety among family friends in Chlifa. Karim faces the ravages of
senseless violence before he safely reunites with his parents in
Montreal. There he must learn to confront the pain of the past, accept
the trials of the present, and move on to the future.

The Road to Chlifa deals with multiple themes, among them the problems
immigrant Canadians face and the impact of violence on the lives it
touches. Marineau presents Karim’s experiences in scenes of graphic
detail, but manages to move the narrative smoothly from Karim’s
despair and indifference to his hopeful conclusion that we live “out
of respect for all those who die but wanted to live.” Some of the
transitions and phrases appear awkward in translation and the point of
view shifts; nevertheless, the novel presents readers with a challenging
and rewarding coming-of-age story. Recommended.