We have updated our Privacy Policy Please take a moment to review it. By continuing to use this site, you agree to the terms of our updated Privacy Policy.
As the 19th century draws to a close, the politically disgraced Mahmoud Abd El Zahir takes up his post as District Commissioner of the remote and dangerous Egyptian oasis of Siwa, knowing he has no choice. The hostile, warring natives are no surprise – but little did he expect to fall in love, his Irish wife to alienate the entire community, or a local beauty to prove a fatal ally. As the gulf between occupier and occupied, husband and wife, dreams and reality widens, tensions reach boiling point.
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Reviews
A boldly imaginative exploration of Egypt's tragic history, and takes us back to the imperial dreams of Alexander the Great, suggesting parallels with the dreams of Bush and Bush. Taher's voice is sombre, wise and lyrical.
Ambitously weighty...offers a welcome glimpse of a troubled period of Egypt's history largely forgotten by its British colonisers and an absorbing portrait of a would-be good man destroyed by bad times
Traces with wonderful subtlety the cultural, historical and gender incompatibilities that inevitably lead to tragedy. It is a haunting but never despairing narrative.
A subtle cast of characters emotively bring the complexity of politics to vivid, powerful life
A richly textured treat
Fascinating...The most compelling journey is that of Mahmoud inwards, an accurate and sensitive portrayal of the honest but weak man