What do you think....?

[Anna]

What do you think about this book? I really enjoyed reading it. This is a nice romance having nothing to do with Harlequins. I think I will buy it to my little library.

[Sarah]

We read this in my bookclub which is half men and half women. I really liked the story of the English woman and her Egyptian husband but the modern story didn't do anyting for me. I thought it was distracting.

[Debra]

This book was beautifully written and artfully tied the past to the present. The author truly captured the spirit of Egypt and the (fictional) legacy of one family who lived and loved despite the political struggles and resultant turmoil.

[Jalilah]

I liked the book a lot but also preferred the 19th century story of the English woman and her Egyptian husband. I could have skipped the modern story altogether.

[Susana]

Read it almost ten years ago and remember that i really liked the story. Also prefered the 19th century story.

[Amir]

There is a problem in the main structure of the novel , Sherif family would never let Anna leave and live alone with their daughter , that's not logic in Egyptian culture , so i think all the modern story is based on illogical detail.

[MiA]

Amir wrote: "There is a problem in the main structure of the novel , Sherif family would never let Anna leave and live alone with their daughter , that's not logic in Egyptian culture , so i think all the moder..."

I understand your point. But I think it was Sharif's will for Anna to do so. He practically ordered her to leave Egypt if anything should happen to him, since he was her only protector and never wanted his daughter to grow up bearing the heavy weight of patriotism and its consequences. Mark the words "they were patriots but they were no politicians.. and they paid a high price for it".

[Farida Z]

Loved how it showed clearly that the past and present are so alike yet so different. Irrelevantly, I was so disturbed by the fact that Isabelle and Omar didn't run a DNA test though.

[Deborah]

I read this book awhile ago. I thought it was one of the most beautiful stories I've read.

[Ann]

I also read it years ago, but loved it. I remember it as being very beautiful. The 19th century story was the best part, but the two tied together nicely.

[Rosalind]

The BBC World Service book club is featuring The Map of Love this week. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01cqkp4

[Mae]

Farida Z wrote: "Loved how it showed clearly that the past and present are so alike yet so different. Irrelevantly, I was so disturbed by the fact that Isabelle and Omar didn't run a DNA test though."
I agree, I found this a bit disturbing.

[Mae]

Amir wrote: "There is a problem in the main structure of the novel , Sherif family would never let Anna leave and live alone with their daughter , that's not logic in Egyptian culture , so i think all the moder..."
I think, that the family would have been aware of the dangers of them staying in Egypt, particularly after Sharif's murder.

[Mae]

I agree with those of you that found the modern love story a bit out of place. I mean, I think the author's attempt to play with time and stories being repeated in a different way. Was interesting, but not successful.
I found the history of politics in the area very useful and an interesting take on the information or misinformation in the media.