The Role of the Desert in the Novel
The desert plays an important role in the story. It can drive a person mad or offer a moment of clarity. For the Bedouins, the desert is home. It is easy to lose one’s direction and sense of time in the vastness, becoming disoriented, lost, and even succumbing to thirst or heat. Yet, one may also fall in love with the desert.
In the novel Tears of the Desert, Bedouins heal emotional wounds. Once, the desert was a sea. Thus, the desert is more than just barren land.
Loneliness in the Modern World
Before meeting, both characters Bogdan and Mare are lonely. This “loneliness in a crowd” is common today. It may reflect a modern illness. There are different kinds of loneliness. Some loneliness heals, while other types consume from within. Both existential loneliness and loneliness in a crowd exist. It’s hard to say if people felt differently a century ago. Probably not. There is the Sahara and an inner desert.
Today, loneliness may be seen as a sickness, with solutions that numb rather than heal. The loneliness of the main characters is inherited and deeply rooted. Mare was born in the Sahara, and Bogdan grew up in a unique “desert” where survival required adaption, resulting in profound isolation.
In the novel, the desert symbolizes the modern world, where loneliness spreads like a disease, turning people into living corpses.
Writing Journey and Self-Discovery
During the writing process, the story transformed multiple times. Many chapters disappeared, and new ones appeared.
There were moments when I wanted to quit. Yet, I had grown attached to the characters. I felt that abandoning them would mean losing a part of myself as well.
Writing became a healing journey. I regained pieces of my lost self. The most exciting part was experiencing the story as a three-dimensional reality. The characters felt real, and sitting down to write connected me to their world.
Anticipation for the Release
Now, as the book nears publication, I feel a mix of excitement and anxiety. I am happy that the novel is complete. I worry about how readers will respond. The story no longer belongs to me alone. I want to defend my characters, even though Mare and Bogdan have survived and found each other.
