Mohamed Itani chronicles the various facets of life in the old Ras Beirut society before it was upended by the profound changes of modern urbanism. In writing these stories, he fulfills a collective desire to narrate the immense transformations and seismic shifts that swept through society—affecting its people, customs, values, joys, and aspirations, both modest and ambitious. He does so without abandoning loyalty to the past, preserving a deep affinity for the things and faces that shaped his life, especially from his childhood and youth. These stories are distinguished by their depiction of diverse situations, characters, moods, and relationships that unfold in settings familiar to all, not as the author's private domain or tied solely to his upbringing. They can be seen as an extension of the narrative style known since La Bruyère as 'studies of characters and temperaments.' (From the introduction)

• Publishing House: Dar Al-Farabi for Publishing and Distribution
• Year of publication: 2013
• Number of Pages: 456