An extravagant affair filled with striking contrasts, triumphs of spirit, and poignant awakenings.
Through a blinding string of daunting experiences and enlightening interactions in Lost in Beirut: A True Story Of Love, Loss and War by Ashe and Magdalena Stevens, readers are treated to a wild ride that has a profound message and a humanizing theme. Ashe lives a life of privilege and opportunity, regularly jet-setting from LA to Europe as he fills his days rubbing elbows with a kaleidoscope of spicy characters, some savory and others not so much. His fearless best friend brings Ashe in on a deal and adventure that is impossible for a wandering spirit like his to resist. Pulling the fabled white rabbit from a hat, Ashe’s pal plans to bring the biggest name in hip hop to Beirut for an epic concert event, the likes of which has never been seen in this ancient coastal city before. Undeterred by the ominous warnings from his quirky but loving family, Ashe and his complement of designer clothes set off for Lebanon circa 2006. Known as the Paris of the Middle East, Beirut dazzles Ashe with all the luxury cars, expensive libations, and even more expensive women that it has to offer. Despite a hectic schedule in the weeks preceding the concert, Ashe manages to find the time to get to know a woman who lights his soul on fire. But in an instant, everything he has ever known is challenged when he finds himself caught in the crosshairs of a deadly military conflict.
A book that you can read in a matter of hours, but will take much longer to process, Lost in Beirut sets the bar high for a story that waxes poetic on the divided human condition and the value of our personal convictions. This highly colored adventure is really a glamorous love story bookmarked by a traumatic period of time in a land very different from America. The things Ashe experiences, a dramatic breakup with a billionaire business magnate, VIP parties, brushes with death, religious dissonance, drug-fueled nights and consequential realizations, seem too much for one man, but they add up to the most significant character-building exercise imaginable. Even the crafty title takes on multiple meanings as a lost soul tries to find its way on a planet that seems to be spinning out of control. From a wistful love story to an eye-opening snapshot of a region embroiled in conflict, Lost in Beirut is an extravagant affair filled with striking contrasts, triumphs of spirit, and poignant awakenings.
