Tata's Earrings & Los Aretes de Tata

On one of my trips to Lebanon, I witnessed something so quietly beautiful that it stayed with me for years. My elderly mother-in-law was in the kitchen, sorting vegetables, when she pushed her veil back and revealed a pair of intricate golden earrings. They seemed almost extravagant against her worn clothes, yet she wore them with such humility and dignity that I was left speechless.

As I set the green beans back on the sieve, a realization struck me: her soul was far more radiant than the earrings themselves, and like them, it contrasted gracefully with her wrinkled face, white curls, and simple garments. In that moment, the idea for Tata’s Earrings was born. It would take a decade—and three children later—for the story to fully unfold, and for me to relearn the language of childhood.

In 2015, I returned to Lebanon in search of the setting for the story and found it in two places: Saida and Byblos, one predominantly Muslim, the other Christian. Their cobbled streets and colorful doors reflected the country’s rich and diverse Mediterranean spirit.
Two years and many cups of tea later, Tata’s Earrings was published, in the hope of planting a seed of love, compassion, and understanding when needed.