Call for Nomination for the books set in the Middle East

[Michael, Mod Prometheus]

November's is an book set in the Middle East, so we need some book nominations. Let us know what book you are suggesting.

Rules
* can't nominate your own book
* only one nomination per person
* first 6-8 books will be chosen
* need to tell us why you are suggesting this book
* be respectful of other people's choices

[Tien]

I hope it's okay for me to chime in... can't help myself as I'm reading one now: The Automobile Club of Egypt by Alaa Al Aswany



I'm about 25% of the book but it's been fascinating so far:
*opens with fictional characters come to live
*alternate chapters between Egypt and Germany, in the very beginning (I am now looking for a good biography on Karl Benz)

[M.L.]

I'll nominate The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker.
GR has the settings as New York and the Syrian Desert. It's fantasy/historical fiction and rich in cultural mix.

[Sam]

I nominate The Calligrapher's Secret by Rafik Schami.
It is set in Damascus (Syria), where calligrapher Hamid Farsi finds that his wife has vanished. She might have been abducted, or has she eloped with Hamids young apprentice? At the same time, Hamid "sees that weaknesses in the Arabic language and its script limit its uses in the modern world. In a secret society, he works out schemes for radical reform, never guessing what risks he is running." (quote from GR description) I like the sound of it (being a linguist and all), and I know Schami to be an excellent story-teller.

[Fran]

I nominate and old one the The Butcher's Theater by Jonathan Kellerman

[Michael, Mod Prometheus]

We has some great nominations so far.

[Lesley]

I would like to nominate My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for His Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq. It has received some great reviews and won a couple of prizes.

[Michael, Mod Prometheus]

Since no more nominations, I'm closing this...the poll is up - https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...