LAST NIGHT OF A DAMNED SOUL

A young Arab-American raised in the Bay Area is seduced by dreams of martyrdom in this sobering novel, Benaïssa's first to be translated into English. After his father dies, software developer Raouf casts about for meaning, finding it in the steadfast Muslim faith of a Palestinian co-worker and the Kuwaiti prince who owns the company where they work. After attending a celebration of Eid al-Adha (the Feast of Sacrifice), Raouf decides to move out of his girlfriend's apartment, formally repent and join a radical mosque. Of particular interest to his new circle is his work history at Boeing, and he is called upon to serve as a martyr, disappearing for two months to prepare for death. However, he begins to question the legitimacy of his supposed act of faith when he considers that perhaps God should be allowed to judge the so-called heathens, rather than man. Raouf's relationship with his father is only sketchily outlined, and the novel's long-winded sermons do not adequately reflect the cult of personality that presumably stirred Raouf to alter his life so dramatically. Nevertheless, this is a chilling look at a matter that is unfortunately all too real, and Benaïssa's attempt, as a Muslim himself, to respond to the September 11 attacks is both poignant and potent. Agent, Heidi Warneke at Editions Plon (France). (Sept.)