The Broken Wings

‘The Broken Wings,’ first published in 1912, is a poetic novel written by Kahlil Gibran, a Lebanese-American poet, writer, and artist. Gibran's work covers themes such as justice, religion, science, free will, love, happiness, soul, body, and death. He is widely considered as one of the most profound figures in Arabic poetry and literature during the first half of the twentieth century. Set in Beirut at the turn of the century, the story is one of the tragic love between a young affianced woman and the protagonist, who are forced to see each other in secret until their meetings are uncovered and their love is made impossible. The story addresses a variety of contemporary problems in the Eastern Mediterranean, including womens’ rights and religious corruption.