Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Diary of a Jewish Muslim: An Egyptian Novel” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Diary of a Jewish Muslim: An Egyptian Novel

(Jewish Muslim #1)

Kamal Ruhayyim (Goodreads Author),

Sarah Enany (Translation)

3.95 · Rating details · 42 ratings · 4 reviews

Egyptian Muslims and Jews were not always at odds. Before the Arab-Israeli wars, before the mass exodus of Jews from Egypt after the pogroms and anti-Semitism of '30s and '40s, threats of death to '100,000 children", and the bombings and riots aganst the Jews in 1948, there had been harmony.
Offering an intimate yet panoramic view of the easy coexistence of Muslims, Jews, a ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 248 pages

Published September 15th 2014 by American University in Cairo Press (first published May 15th 2014)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Diary of a Jewish Muslim, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about Diary of a Jewish Muslim

Lists with This Book

No One Sleeps in Alexandria by Ibrahim Abdel Meguid

The American University in Cairo Press - Fiction in Translation

134 books — 9 voters

Novelists with Doctorate Degrees

29 books — 3 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.95 ·

Rating details

· 42 ratings · 4 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Diary of a Jewish Muslim: An Egyptian Novel

Sep 11, 2014 Jennifer V. rated it really liked it

The best thing a new story has going for it is an unusual character, circumstance, or setting. Diary of a Jewish Muslim: An Egyptian Novel (AUC Press, 2014), written by Kamal Ruhayyim and translated by Sarah Enany, had all three, making it treat to read. I doubt there are many fictional books about Jews in Arab countries, and even fewer readily available in English. Add in an inter-religious marriage, and this is definitely not your typical coming-of-age novel.

I’ll say right off: Don’t believe t The best thing a new story has going for it is an unusual character, circumstance, or setting. Diary of a Jewish Muslim: An Egyptian Novel (AUC Press, 2014), written by Kamal Ruhayyim and translated by Sarah Enany, had all three, making it treat to read. I doubt there are many fictional books about Jews in Arab countries, and even fewer readily available in English. Add in an inter-religious marriage, and this is definitely not your typical coming-of-age novel.

I’ll say right off: Don’t believe the inside book cover. The story actually dates from the 1950s to the 1970s, not the 1930s to the 1960s mentioned in the publisher’s description, causing me some unnecessary confusion. The Suez War has ended, and Egypt’s Muslims and Jews live in a world of bigotry, hostility, and antagonism coming from both sides. Because of the worsening political situation, many Jews are immigrating to other countries like France for asylum. This is the world in which Galal is born and raised. The only son of a Muslim father he’s never met and a Jewish mother, he takes us on a journey of laughter and tears through his formative years, as he tries to discover his true identity.

I liked this book straightaway for three reasons. First, it isn’t shy about the religious tensions. The reader has to learn how to like, or at least empathize with, the characters despite their bigotry, rather than being treated with a watered-down version of it. Second, while popular culture likes to focus on the love of the Romeo and Juliet and their right to get together, few people care to talk about what happens to the children of mixed unions, who often grow up confused about who they are, unable to really hold on to anything permanent or confidently pursue love of their own. As the outcome of an inter-racial marriage, I could identify with Galal as he constantly feels out of place in both sides of his family and not fully accepted by his peers. A lot of readers might find this depressing, but it’s arguably realistic.

Third, I thought the diary approach was particularly entertaining for the early years. The reader is told what happens from the baby’s, toddler’s, and child’s perspectives, not from a grown man’s perspective looking back on his past. The reader sees the religious and cultural conflict, not as the adults who perpetuate them see them, but as a child just learning how to navigate through life sees them: confusing, unfair, and often contradictory.

What didn’t I like about Diary of a Jewish Muslim? At times, the book can be a rough read. Some religious and cultural references are explained, while others are sort of left to the reader to figure out. Once or twice, I was confused about who was speaking, possibly a flaw in the author’s writing style, possibly an error in the translation. And I had to reread the last three chapters to make sense of the ending. I think I know where the author was trying to go with it, but I don’t think he was successful in getting his main character there. So while I enjoyed the beginning and middle, I was left unsatisfied with the close. However, I don’t want that to keep you from at least checking it out. The book’s unique elements might be enough to win the hearts of many a reader.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book as a First Reads giveaway winner on GoodReads.com. There was no obligation to write a review. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 05, 2018 Marisa James rated it really liked it

(Very mild spoiler alert: my last sentence gives away the mood of the book’s ending.)
I wanted to love this book, honestly I did. And I really was fascinated by the descriptions of the life of Cairo’s Muslims and Jews. The main character, Galal, just isn’t the deepest thinker, and for most of the book he’s an adolescent boy - so the tone of the book is infected by his (very believable) grumpiness and rebellious idiocy. I came away wishing that the perspective had varied - perhaps giving us a vie ...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 14, 2017 Amina Rayan rated it really liked it

Shelves: arab-lit

***3,5*** Stars

flag Like · see review

May 20, 2016 Deborah Mullins added it

I picked up this book at the 'Faith after the Pharaohs' exhibition at the British Museum last December and was intrigued by the title. The narrator is the son of a Jewish Egyptian woman in Cairo and her Muslim husband, dead as the story starts. Growing up with the Jewish family on his mother's side, amongst Muslim neighbours, and eventually encountering his paternal family, it offers a picture of a much less divided community, though not without its sectarian prejudices. The Jewish migration fro ...more

flag Like · see review

Sophie Dornfeld rated it liked it
Aug 15, 2019

Lana Zabaneh rated it really liked it
Dec 28, 2016

Hazem Ibrahim rated it liked it
Nov 28, 2019

Ihsan Hamdan rated it it was ok
May 18, 2020

Abida rated it really liked it
Oct 08, 2017

Jasmine Ruhayyim rated it it was amazing
Jan 28, 2020

Zakia rated it liked it
Sep 21, 2017

Nouran Khaled rated it liked it
May 15, 2015

Mohsen Farag rated it it was amazing
Dec 05, 2014

Arthur Chau rated it it was amazing
Aug 19, 2016

Tribblemaker rated it really liked it
Nov 13, 2017

Muhammad rated it really liked it
Mar 17, 2015

A. B. rated it liked it
Feb 23, 2018

V. O. D. rated it really liked it
Feb 11, 2017

Rana M. bashta rated it it was amazing
Dec 23, 2018

Mimi Danou rated it really liked it
Feb 29, 2020

Sarah Elmeshad rated it liked it
Jan 07, 2015

Nadia rated it it was amazing
Jun 28, 2014

Farah El Nehlawy rated it liked it
Sep 28, 2020

Paul Hoekstra rated it it was amazing
Nov 21, 2018

Anas Massoud rated it really liked it
Aug 23, 2016

Sreelekha Menon rated it it was amazing
Dec 28, 2018

Dina rated it really liked it
Jul 30, 2015

Farida Sherif rated it really liked it
Mar 10, 2016

Yasmeen Abdlhak rated it really liked it
Jan 26, 2017

Renée rated it really liked it
Aug 02, 2019

« previous 1 2 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Fiction

3 users

Novels

2 users

Northern Africa > Egypt

2 users

Historical > Historical Fiction

2 users

Literature

2 users

See top shelves…

About Kamal Ruhayyim

Kamal Ruhayyim

15 followers

Kamal Ruhayyim, born in Egypt in 1947, has a PhD in law from Cairo University. He is the author of a collection of short stories and four novels, as well as several books on law. Through his career in the Egyptian police force and as a head of Interpol he has lived in Cairo and Paris.