To an inspirational young Libyan...

Esther Kofod

THE LIBYAN

http://amzn.to/1Qcmc6C

Of all the reviews I have received, this one means the most to me because it is from a young Libyan woman who is not afraid to speak from her heart. I have never met her, but we started communicating after her review, and I am amazed by her. She is so inspiring, so articulate, and so special. 

I pray that Libyans will unite, so that brilliant young Libyans like her can start rebuilding the future with the traditions from the past. 

Thank you, Omnia, from my heart to yours, and God Bless Libya ❤️

  A very touching story with great storytelling skills

By Omnia Eteyari - January 27, 2016

Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm Libyan, and I found this book truly describes a lot of the old Libyan culture back in the seventies, and some of which remained till today. The details and heart it was written with made me so emotional in certain pages, either forcing a loud laughter while describing some very special Libyan traditions, or tears while memorising the horror that surrounded Libyans for 42 years. But above all, I can't help but feel so sorry and some sort of responsibility over the hardship, pain and sadness the author has gone through, either in Libya or by Libyans. I appreciate very much that she toke the time to write her story, which I think is a very good reference for the near history of Libya in a joyful romantic and dramatic layout. Thank you!!

It's been a while since a book was able to force me to keep reading non-stop. This one did, from the very first chapter I couldn't wait to know what's next, that I finished it in 3 days.

It is a romance novel written with a great amount of details and emotions, that makes you live in the story, see the people and places, hear the sounds, and feel the heat. It highlighted so much of the Libyan qualities, beautiful traditions, and good deeds; however, also shed a strong light on some of the dark parts of the Libyan culture, especially back in the seventies, during which most of the story events took place.

As much as I've heard about the horror Libyans have encountered because of Gaddafi in the late seventies and eighties, and even though things did not get much better after that when I became old enough to understand what was going on, but this is one of the few times where I actually felt it so strong, the effect of his evil on people's lives and minds, the power he had not only to kill, but to destroy families and poison people of principles and ethics.

This is the kind of stories that stays with you even after you finish reading. You know that it is not just a fiction, but actual facts and events that happened to real people.

After I finished, I couldn't stop the questions circling in my mind, how? why? what? and, until when?

The Making of America's #1 Con Artist...

CYRENE, LIBYA.....

A Historical and Archeological treasure in eastern Libya...

https://www.pinterest.com/TheLibyan/cyrene-libya/

Cyrene was an ancient Greek and Roman city near present-day Shahhat, Libya. It was the oldest and most important of the five Greek cities in the region, and gave eastern Libya the classical name Cyrenaica.

Cyrene lies in a lush valley in the Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountains) uplands. The city was named after a spring, Kyre, which the Greeks consecrated to Apollo. It was also the seat of the Cyrenaics, a famous school of philosophy in the 3rd century BC, founded by Aristippus, a disciple of Socrates. It was then nicknamed the "Athens of Africa".

THE LIBYAN

Esther Kofod

www.estherkofod

Thank you, from my heart to yours ❤️

To all the readers who took the time and made the effort to write me a review for THE LIBYAN...

Thank you, from my heart to yours, for sharing my journey ❤️

http://www.amazon.com/The-Libyan-Esther-Kofod/dp/0989054306

REMEMBERING JEDDI...❤️

Four years ago today, my children's grandfather, my hero, passed away in Sabrata, Libya. He adored and spoilt all his grandchildren every opportunity he could. Sadly, because of the political situation in Libya and personal circumstances afterwards, my children only knew him for a few years. He was an extraordinary man, and had they known him longer, I know he would have been a major force in their lives, as he has been in mine. When I am around my dear nephew, who adores his Jeddi, I feel sad that my kids missed the opportunity he had, to have known what a great man their grandfather was. But, I remember Jeddi Ibrahim very well, and I will take every opportunity I can to remind my children of him, if they will let me...

I did not grow up with grandparents, but from my children's Libyan Jeddi and Jdeda, I saw the pure love and essence of being a grandparent. I hope with all my heart that my own grandchildren will remember me one day with the love and memory that I remember their great-grandfather.

When we lived in Libya, we always went to the family home in Sabrata on Fridays. All the sons and their wives and children would be there, unless they were out of the country...every Friday, without fail. Jeddi and Jdeda would come out to the car to greet their grandchildren with a million hugs and kisses, and the joy on their faces was priceless and always worth the drive. From that point on, we relenquished our children to them. Their Jeddi would have already raided the shops in town for clothing, toys and special sweets, and their Jdeda, who had spent the whole morning cooking, was just waiting to put her food in their mouths, as if we hadn't fed them all week. We all let them do whatever they wanted, because they were their grandchildren, and because they were the undisputed patriarch and matriarch of the family. It was that simple. No one argued with Jeddi or Jdeda.

Life is simpler in older cultures because of thousands of years of traditions. There are distinct codes of behavior and expectations. Unfortunately, many families in America are conflicted, including those whose parents come from traditional cultures, because they have shunned the old ways to make up their own haphazard new ones. Their concept of being modern and American gets warped in experimental trends du jour, in the process denying and eventually losing their own rich heritage. 

When my children went to Sabrata, there were no instructions, rules or orders for their grandparents to follow. Their Jeddi would have laughed and probably scolded me if I had said no chocolate or juices allowed.  He loved his grandchildren unconditionally, and I let him, because I loved, trusted and respected him. I hope my children will let me do the same so that my grandchildren can experience and remember the pure love of a grandparent. 

RIP Sidi 

MY POOR WORLD...

TERRORISM HAS NO RELIGION...

It is time for  #US  #UK  #EUROPE  #RUSSIA to stand together, with the support of the Arab countries, to extinguish ISIS from the air and the ground once and for all..

They are also terrorizing #Syria  #Iraq  #Libya #Lebanon. #Tunisia  #Egypt  #Yemen  #Afghanistan  #Pakistan...

And they are whom the refugees are running from...

What is the world waiting for?