A review by nickartrip102
The Foghorn Echoes by Danny Ramadan

4.0

“I’m not a good man. I’m debris after the fall of a good boy. I’m the skeleton of a building, with exposed columns and darked burned spots and broken furniture.”

I randomly selected The Foghorn Echoes by Danny Ramadan, where it landed after I saw someone praising it on a different platform. In 2003 Syria, the blossoming relationship between Hussam and Wassim results in tragic consequences when they're caught by Hussam's father. Ten years later, both men find themselves haunted by the events of that day. Hussam lives in Vancouver as an openly gay man, after being sponsored by a controlling, older man. He throws himself into sex and partying to escape the ghosts of his past. Wassim lives on the streets of Damascus after abandoning his wife and child, unable to keep up his performance any longer.

Holy hell, the opening chapter of this novel is fantastic! When I purchased this book, I admittedly only had the barest idea of the plot outside of the fact that it was queer centric. The first chapter really pulled me into the story, making me feel a wide range of emotions. It was humorous, tender, shocking, and ultimately devastating. It was incredibly well done and quickly made me care for Hussam and Wassim. Going into this book without any sort of preconceived notions about what I would be reading really made this book feel quite impactful.

This book made me quite emotional, pulling on my heartstrings each time I returned to its pages. The literal and figurative ghosts on the page really pulled me in and made me consider the lives men like Hussam and Wassim have led, are still leading. Getting to know Kalila with Wassim was a super special element of this novel that really transformed my understanding of The Foghorn Echoes as a whole. I’m not sure that I had dry eyes for more than a few pages at a time reading this story, but it was certainly well worth it. An exceptional portrait of healing and trauma.