Middle East/North African Lit discussion

I just read The Orchard of Lost Souls for the Horn of Africa category of the challenge. Although it’s brutal as war is brutal I really found it a compelling read.

Sheila wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "I just read The Occasional Virgin by Hanan Al-Shaykh for the Al Shams section of the challenge. I really enjoyed it and found it very thought provokin..."

I just finished The Story of Zahra and can say with certainty Hanan Al-Shaykh’s writing has greatly improved since then. If I had started this book I would definitely not have become as big of a fan of hers as I am now
Here is my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I would recommend Daughters of Smoke and Fire by Ava Homa which is a powerful book covering the lives of the Kurdish people in Iran from the 1970s onwards. An important read particularly in the wake of the tragic death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini. Here is my review

I would also recommend reading Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa which follows the lives of a family in Palestine starting with their idyllic village life in the 1940s to a time of hardship and invasion when they are forcibly removed to a refugee camp in Jenin. The book covers the often untold story of Palestine from the 1940s to 2000s. Here is my review

I just finished The Annotated Arabian Nights: Tales from 1001 Nights and wow, it’s a translation like no other!
Here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Jalilah wrote: "I just finished The Annotated Arabian Nights: Tales from 1001 Nights and wow, it’s a translation like no other!
Here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

I have decided this is my birthday gift to myself this year. It's been on the list for a while and based on your review I'm now investing it for myself!

I read Walking on the Ceiling by Aysegül Savas.
This is the second novel I've read by this Turkish author. I enjoyed her White on White, but I enjoyed this novel more. Her style is unusual--very subdued and muted. Nothing much happens in her novels, but her character's interiority is fascinating and her voice, mesmerizing.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Tamara wrote: "I read Walking on the Ceiling by Aysegül Savas.
This is the second novel I've read by this Turkish author. I enjoyed her White on White, but I enjo..."

Lovely review, Tamara!

Carolien wrote: "Lovely review, Tamara!

Thank you, Carolien. I really enjoy Aysegül Savas's style of writing.

I read two books recently that may be of interest to some of you:

Stealing from the Saracens: How Islamic Architecture Shaped Europe by Diana Darke.
This is a fascinating book about how early Arab and Islamic architecture influenced the design and construction of buildings in Europe, some of which are famous. The research is extensive. I don't know anything about architecture, but Darke includes a glossary which explains all the technical terms. The book is full of some breathtaking illustrations of the buildings.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The other book I read is The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif. The book has two different timelines about 100 years apart. Most of the setting takes place in Egypt. It weaves together an intricate tapestry of a love story embroiled in the history and politics of Egypt, past and present.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Thank you Tamara!

You're welcome :)

Tamara wrote: "I read two books recently that may be of interest to some of you:

Stealing from the Saracens: How Islamic Architecture Shaped Europe by Diana Darke.
This is a fasci..."


I loved Map of Love!

Thanks Tamara for the recommendations! :)
I added (Stealing from the Saracens) to my to read list.

Niledaughter wrote: "Thanks Tamara for the recommendations! :)
I added (Stealing from the Saracens) to my to read list."

Great! I hope you enjoy it. The glossary is very helpful in explaining the intricate parts of a building, especially for someone like me who doesn't know much about architecture.

I adore The Map of Love. Adding Stealing to the Saracens to the list as well. Thanks, Tamara!

You're welcome, Carolien. I hope you enjoy it.

Just finished Shannon Chakraborty’s The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. A rollicking, swashbuckling good time.

Melanie wrote: "Just finished Shannon Chakraborty’s The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. A rollicking, swashbuckling good time."

This looks interesting! Will add it to the list.

I read The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain by María Rosa Menocal.
A well-researched, well-written survey of life in Al-Andalus, Spain, during the Middle Ages. The survey begins in Damascus in 750 and concludes in Grenada in 1492 with the expulsion of Muslims and Jews from Spain. I thought it was very interesting.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Tamara, I thought this book was interesting too. I enjoyed hearing Menocal speak, years ago. I think of her work as pioneering, asking questions that were not expected or welcomed when she first started asking them (when she was a graduate student in Romance languages, asking questions about the role of Arabic in medieval Iberian history). Thanks for sharing.

Melanie, it must have been wonderful to hear her speak. It doesn't surprise me to know her initial inquiries met with resistance. I'm delighted she forged on with her research.
I really enjoyed her book. I knew very little about the period, so I found it very interesting and educational. It was recommend to me by a friend after she read my review of Stealing from the Saracens: How Islamic Architecture Shaped Europe.

would you please recommend books with no lgbtq characters :)

Tamara wrote: "I read The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain by María Rosa Menocal.
A well-researched, well-wri..."

I thought you may like to check the group discussion of the book in 2013
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Niledaughter wrote: "I thought you may like to check the group discussion of the book in 2013
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...."

A really interesting and vigorous discussion. Thanks for the link.

Tamara wrote: "I read The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain by María Rosa Menocal.
A well-researched, well-wri...".

I loved this book! I must have read it before I joined this group.

I read another amazing translation and commentary by Sophus Helle. I loved his Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic. This time I read Enheduana: The Complete Poems of the World's First Author by Sophus Helle.
Enheduana was a Sumerian princess and the high priestess at the temple in Ur in southern Iraq. She lived nearly 4,000 years ago. She is the world's first known author. Her hymns to Inanna are intense and passionate. It is weirdly wonderful to read words penned by a woman thousands of years ago. And, as always, Sophus Helle's translation, commentary, and insights just blow me away.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Tamara wrote: "I read another amazing translation and commentary by Sophus Helle. I loved his Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic. This time I read [book:Enheduana: The Complete Poems..."

Thanks Tamara! I already ordered Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic and will make note of Enheduanna the Complete Poems!
I too love the idea reading something written by a woman 4000 years ago!

Jalilah, I think you'll love both books.
I get goosebumps when I think of Enheduana as the first known author. And Sophus Helle is such an incredible scholar.

I loved learning about Enheduana. Thanks Tamara.

You're more than welcome, Sue!

Could anyone recommend me books about Libya's History?
Thank you,

Kenza wrote: "Could anyone recommend me books about Libya's History?
Thank you,"

The Night Will Have Its Say. The author is Libyan but it takes place in a time period before borders

I read Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East by Amanda H. Podany. A fascinating exploration of 3,000 years of history of the ancient Near East. In this 600+ page behemoth, Professor Podany analyzes cuneiform tablets and cylinder seals to unearth what they reveal about the lives of ordinary people as well as kings and queens, priests and priestesses. Her tone is engaging and accessible. She breathes life into people who lived 5,000 years ago.
I thought it was a fascinating, well-researched exploration.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I read What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad. It makes for difficult reading because it tells the tragic story of illegal migrants escaping from their war-torn countries and political persecution. It does it through the eyes of a nine-year old Syrian boy. Very compelling and extremely relevant in light of the current humanitarian crisis.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

If anyone is interested in art, I highly recommend Suad Al-Attar by Nesma Shubber.
Suad Al-Attar is a prolific Iraqi artist with an international reputation. She has lived in England since 1976. This bio and collection of her art is put together by her granddaughter, Nesma Shubber. Her paintings frequently depict motifs from Ancient Mesopotamia. She does amazing work.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I read The Woman from Tantoura: A Palestinian Novel by Radwa Ashour; translated by Kay Heikkinen. A powerful novel in the voice of a Palestinian woman describing the experience of Palestinians in the 1948 formation of the state of Israel and its aftermath.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Tamara wrote: "I read The Woman from Tantoura: A Palestinian Novel by Radwa Ashour; translated by Kay Heikkinen. A powerful novel in the voice of a Palestinian woman describing th..."

I recently read it too! It is powerful and moving

on my reading list for a while now!

I read How to Read the Qur'an: A New Guide, With Select Translations by Carl W. Ernst.
Professor Ernst is a professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. This is a nontheological textual and literary analysis of selections from the Qur'an. I thought it was informative and interesting. Recommended for those interested in monotheistic traditions.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This summer, I read Against the Loveless World. It really was an interesting story about how someone has fallen short in life and is in the middle of the Kuwait invasion, then moving to Palestine.

I don't want to give away the story, but would love to have a separate discussion on it for those that have read, or want to read the book. While I have read the book, I have so many thoughts!

It's a recommended fiction read.

I read River Spirit by Leila Aboulela. It is about the Mahdi uprising in Sudan during the 1880s. Told from multiple vantage points to present a panoramic view of the events. Was a little confusing at times because of the multiple view points. Otherwise, good.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Randa wrote: "This summer, I read Against the Loveless World. It really was an interesting story about how someone has fallen short in life and is ..."

This book moved me in a very deep way! I kept thinking about it days after I finished it!

I read The Gardens of Consolation by Parisa Reza; translated from the French by Adriana Hunter.
It takes place in Iran at the beginning of the 20th century through to the mid-century. The first sections depict the tender love story between Talla and Sardar; the remaining sections focus on their son and the political upheavals in Iran.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm not an archaeologist, but I've always been fascinated by the civilizations of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. I just finished reading The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti: Amarna and Its People by Barry J. Kemp.
Professor Kemp spent 35 years excavating the Amarna site. Some of the technical stuff went way over my head, but on the whole, I found the study fascinating. Its an invaluable resource for anyone interested in ancient Egypt.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I read Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah, winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature. The novel explores the impact of colonialism on the lives of four characters through intertwining threads. I thought it was good, but I had higher expectations for a Nobel Prize winner.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I’m reading Three Worlds: Memoir of an Arab-Jew by Israeli historian Avi Shlaim. It’s an autobiography with lots of history on Iraq and the Jewish population in Iraq. It also documents his own personal journey of becoming an anti-Zionist
I highly recommend it

Jalilah wrote: "I’m reading Three Worlds: Memoir of an Arab-Jew by Israeli historian Avi Shlaim. It’s an autobiography with lots of history on Iraq and the Jewish population in Iraq...."

Thanks for the recommendation. It looks good. I'll check it out.

Thanks, sounds interesting.

I read The Last Pomegranate Tree by Bachtyar Ali; translated from the Kurdish by Kareem Abdulrahman.
The novel blends magical realism, myth, fables, and narrative threads that record the atrocities perpetrated by Saddam Hussein against the Kurdish people in northern Iraq. A challenging read but an important one.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...