The poems in The Taste of the Earth weave together personal history
with the complex cultural heritage of Hedy Habra's countries of origin.
Steeped in memories, loss and longing, these poems invite the reader to
revisit Egypt's mythical past and Lebanon's turmoil, recalling the
intersecting roots of culture and language in an act of artistic
recollection that bridges time and space. Through the lyrical power of
the senses, Habra's poems bring to life scenes of strife and upheaval as
well as profound joy. Such images linger in the mind and keep evolving
in search for the permanence of beauty within suffering as they are
evoked by trees, houses, fountains and familiar objects, each voice
offering with its testimony a broader perspective on the
interconnectedness of worlds and universality of emotions.