Chapter 3-4: Three Birds, Our Last Gentleman Summary and Analysis

Shadid describes the history and geography of Marjayoun, explaining the mythology of its residents' ancestry. Centuries of war and lack of economic opportunity drove them from present day Yemen to the Houran steppe in modern Syria, and finally to what became Marjayoun. The town is also on a plateau, close to Mount Hermon, which forms the nearby border with Syria and Israel. Marjayoun is populated by Sunni Muslims, Greek Orthodox Christians, Maronite Catholics, and Protestants. The surrounding villages are peopled by Shiite Muslims and other Christian sects. Though more than 3,000 people lived in Marjayoun before WWI, only about 800 remain. Shadid describes what the Saha, the main town square and meeting ground, would have been like during its heyday during Isber's youth. Isber and his brothers were ambitious, traveling across...