The Book of Khalid

by Ameen Fares Rihani

"The Book of Khalid" by Ameen Rihani is a novel published in 1911. Following two Lebanese boys who immigrate to America, it traces their contrasting paths through New York's immigrant underworld and bohemian circles. Khalid abandons peddling for literature and politics, only to face imprisonment and return home. There, his heretical ideas and forbidden love spark conflict with religious authorities, leading to excommunication and exile. In mountain solitude, he transforms into a visionary voice bridging Eastern and Western worlds.