“Daoud’s writing is elegant, laconic and often very funny.”— The Times (London) In a village in Lebanon, an old man—a widower, who feels abandoned by his grown-up children—prepares for his final journey. But right to the end he remains defiant: against his age, his failing body, and the whims of memory. He refuses to accept the inevitable, boldly repeating, “The Angel of Death cannot touch me.” Hassan Daoud is chief editor of the cultural supplement for Al Mustaqbal Daily in Beirut. His novels include The House of Mathilde , The Penguin’s Song , and The Year of the Revolutionary New Bread-making Machine (Telegram).