# The Refugee Ocean - Hardcover

by **Pauls Toutonghi** (Author)

**Two refugees find that their lives are inextricably linked--over time and distance--by the perils of history and a single haunting piece of music.**

Born in Beirut in 1922, Marguerite Toutoungi lives a life of loss and sacrifice. She dreams of traveling to Europe and studying music at the Conservatoire de Paris but her family--and her society--hold her back. When she meets the son of a Cuban tobacco farmer at a formal dance, love transforms her life. Together with him, she flees across the Pacific Ocean. She's hoping for a new beginning. Instead, she finds revolution and chaos.

Over fifty years later, Na? Rahil is a teenage refugee from Aleppo, Syria. A former piano prodigy who struggles to thrive in America--and who has lost part of his hand in the war--he dreams of a simple, normal life.

Moving from Aleppo on the brink of civil war, to Lebanon in the late 1940s, to Havana during the Cuban Revolution, to the suburbs of Washington, DC, _The Refugee Ocean_ grapples with what it means to be an immigrant, shows how wounds can heal, and highlights the role of music and art in the resilience of the human spirit.

### Author Biography

Paul Toutonghi's parents were both refugees to the United States. He has been awarded a Pushcart Prize, an Andrew W. Mellon research fellowship, a Fulbright Grant, and a residency at Hawthornden Castle. He has written for _The New Yorker_, _The New York Times Book Review_, _Outside Magazine_, _Sports Illustrated_, _Granta_, _Tin House_, and other periodicals. He's married to the novelist, Peyton Marshall. He lives in Oregon, where he teaches at Lewis and Clark College.

**Number of Pages:** 352

**Dimensions:** 1 x 9.2 x 6.1 IN

**Publication Date:** October 03, 2023

## Details

- **Price:** 27.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 27.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- The Refugee Ocean - Hardcover

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