Ramzy Baroody

In his debut book, The Burning Cedars,Ramzy provides a poignant and pragmatic account of the Lebanese civil war and ensuing turmoil while candidly unraveling the intricate secrets and at times turbulent relationships of a family whose heartbreaking struggles and emotional triumphs extended over three generations. The unpredictable and surprising turns and twists of each chapter continue to resonate with readers long after the last page has been turned over.

At a time when Lebanon was thrust into the grips of a long and vicious civil war, Ramzy Baroody offers an honest, sometimes tragic, sometimes funny, but always heartfelt view of a fascinating country and its people.

The Burning Cedars follows the life of a young boy, a privileged son whose grandfather, a prominent village doctor amassed great wealth and power only to have it squandered away by his family or destroyed by the war. His grandmother, a powerful and domineering woman whose relationship with his mother could be described as volatile and cruel at best. The distant and un-attentive brother and the unmarried and loving uncle who concealed a deep and unforgiving illness, must all work together as a family to survive the atrocities of the civil war.

In the midst of all the chaos, the author methodically reveals the young boys' struggles with loneliness, fear and sadness, while happier days spent in Egypt and America all come together seamlessly in this fascinating and gripping autobiography, The Burning Cedars.