“Rusty Guns” by Iraqi Kurdish novelist Abdul Qadir Saeed is a poignant narrative set against the Iran-Iraq war. It follows a young Kurdish man, forcefully conscripted into the army, ending up on the war's brutal front lines, where he faces capture and oppression.

The novel beautifully portrays how the imprisoned lover finds solace in dreams of love, nourishing his will to survive. Letters to his distant beloved serve as a lifeline to the outside world, even though he never reads her responses.

Omar, the lover's friend, refuses to let this story end tragically. He kindles the flames of love within the prison, offering a glimmer of hope for survival.

On the other side, we encounter Sarah, the beloved who has almost given up on her captive husband, assuming him a war victim, and moving on with her life by marrying another. Her world is shaken when she receives a letter from Omar, leading to a profound internal conflict.

Saeed's work triumphs over the dreams of lovers crushed by the brutality of war, delving deep into their souls to reveal the beauty war and oppression could not extinguish. This narrative celebrates love as an indescribable force that can transcend all, where the rhythmic beating of hearts drowns out the cacophony of war's guns.