MARIJEAN MORAN BOUERI was born in Philadelpia.
After studying English Literature and Art History at St. Mary’s
College, Notre Dame, Indiana, she had many diverse
experiences from researching rare manuscripts to designing
men’s sportswear. Marijean and her husband, François, along
with their three children, have lived in Amsterdam, Brussels,
and finally Beirut. Marijean, author of Lebanon 1-2-3: A
Counting Book in Three Languages, is a passionate collector of
children’s books.
For more information visit: www.marijean-boueri.com
JILL JOHNSON BOUTROS grew up in Minnesota,
knowing one day she would see the world. With a bachelor’s
degree from Notre Dame and a master’s in education from
Columbia University, she set off to teach in New York, New
Jersey and finally in London. In 1999, she and her husband,
Naji, moved their family to his childhood village in Lebanon.
The following year they founded Château Belle-Vue vineyards,
employing local people and encouraging the community to
tend the valley once more. Jill and Naji live in a traditional,
red-roofed Lebanese mountain home with their four children,
Philippe, Hannah, Lauren and Ella... along with sixteen
chickens, numerous cats, and a very nervous dog.
A native New Yorker of Greek lineage, JOANNE KERATSOS SAYAD graduated from Marymount Manhattan
College with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts. She worked at Sotheby’s before moving to Beirut in 1991 with her
husband, Ralph. They have three children and reside in the Sayad building along with 20 members of their
extended family–a modern day tribe! At the American University of Beirut’s Archeological Museum, Joanne helped
develop cultural workshops for children ages 7-13 and has written a series of articles exploring Lebanon’s heritage.
