Set in the aftermath of the Gulf War, Of Loss and Lavender is a poignant exploration of the immigrant experience and the enduring weight of memory. The narrative centers on two Iraqi men, Sami and Sa’ad, who have sought refuge in the United States. While they share a homeland, their internal landscapes are vastly different. Sami is haunted by the past, meticulously preserving memories of the life and people he left behind in Baghdad. In contrast, Sa’ad is desperate to sever all ties with his history, viewing memory as a burden that prevents him from fully integrating into his new American reality. Through their intersecting lives, Sinan Antoon masterfully examines the trauma of war, the complexities of identity in exile, and the different ways the human psyche attempts to heal or hide from its own history.