The Desert Contract

Lathrop, John. The desert contract, New York : Scribner, 2008.

This is a romantic suspenseful story about an American  businessman Steve, who returns to living in a small ex-pat community in Saudi Arabia and rekindles a romance with a now married Irish woman, Helen.  Steve and Helen struggle to keep their love alive amid political unrest including a sudden Shiite coup that threatens the unpopular and corrupt regime.  Lathrop knows the Middle East well and draws from his own experience of living and working there for 15 years.  This is a fine first novel.
The link to this author's website is
http://jplathrop.net/

The Story of Zahra

Al-Shaykh, Hanan. The story of zahra, London : Quartet Books, 1991.

This Lebanese author recounts an unsettling story of sexuality and violence in war-torn Beirut and West Africa.  It is the story of a young woman of the Shia community in South Lebanon, who is haunted by dark memories of deception and abuse in her early years. Zahra is sent off to West Africa to live with her uncle. After an unsuccessful marriage there, she returns to a Beirut which is devastated by civil war, explosions, shooting and death.  As the war intensifies, Zahra falls in love for the first time with a sniper and wants a normal life, but it is too late and she becomes the victim of the city’s mindless violence, personified by the sniper.
This novel is a suspenseful story with a plot that has lots of twists and turns.

The Jewel of Medina

Jones, Sherry. The jewel of medina, New York : Beaufort Books, 2008.

This story is a historical fiction novel, set against the backdrop of  7th century Arabia and is about one of the Prophet Mohammed’s favourite wives A’isha bint Abu Bakr.  Much controversy has surrounded this book when it was dumped by Random House publishers prior to its scheduled publication in August 2008.  Finally the rights were picked up by Beaufort Books in the U.S.A.  Jones writes the novel from A’isha’s point of view, the story is written in the first person and covers Aisha’s childhood until the death of Mohammed when she was 18 years old.  The book lacks substance and becomes a fluffy historical romance novel instead of the story of a girl raised in the 7th century and the birth of Islam.

Beirut Blues

Al-Shaykh, Hanan. Beirut Blues. New York : Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1996.

In this novel, sex is not the driving force as it was in the Al-Shaykh’s earlier novel, the story of Zahra.  Through the unsent letters of her narrator, Asmahran, a wealthy Lebanese woman, the author explores the profound transformations that are happening in her beloved war-torn Beirut.  The letters are addressed to the people, places and events that have shaped her life.  Through these letters, the reader learns of the constant dangers in the once cosmopolitan city that she loved, Beirut.  It explores the frustrations of dealing with the militia, or of not having enough food and electricity.  Asmahran is torn between staying in Beirut or fleeing religious and political persecution like many of her friends.
The author vividly portrays the tragedy of contemporary Lebanon.

The Yacoubian Building

Al-Aswany, Alaa. The yacoubian building.  London :  Harper Perennial, 2007.

This novel is about how the lives of the inhabitants of an apartment in downtown Cairo, intertwine. Religious fervour jostles with promiscuity, modern life with ancient culture.  The destinies of a fading aristocrat, a sultry voluptuous siren, a devout young student, feeling the pull of Islamic fundamentalism, a gay newspaper editor and a corrupt and corpulent politician come together.  This controversial Arab novel represents the political corruption, the sexual repression, the religious fundamentalism and the modern hopes of Egypt. This book was written before the Egyptian uprising in 2011 and it would be interesting to see how much life has changed since then.
A story by best selling Eygptian author Alaa Al Aswany.

Sweet Dates in Basra

Jiji, Jessica.  Sweet dates in Basra. New York : Harper Collins, 2010.

This story is set in the tumultuous years of the Second World War in Iraq.  Kathmiya is a young Marsh Arab, living in a village of Iraq who is sent by her family to work as a servant girl in the unfamiliar city of Basra. 
Kathmiya meets Shafiq, a young Iraqi Jewish boy, her mistress’s younger brother and although the attraction between Kathimiya and Shafiq is mutal, there is a massive cultural divide between this Iraqi Jewish family and her identity as a Marsh Arab.
This  novel brings together the conflict and violence between Jews and Muslims as  Hilter's shadow falls across the country.  It is a vibrant read and evokes 1940's Iraq.

Mirage

Khashoggi, Soheir.  Mirage, London : Batam Books, 1996

This is a powerful tale of romance, drama and revenge. The author deals with such contemporary issues as Islamic treatment of women, battered women and multiculturalism.  Set in the fictitious Arab country of al-Remal, the author traces the life of Amira Badir, the daughter of a wealthy Middle Eastern family, who  faces the limitations of living in a traditional Arabic household.  When her arranged marriage to the wealthy Prince Ali al-Rashad becomes a nightmare of beatings and abuse, she manages to escape to the west with her infant son.  She takes on a new identity in the United States, and  discovers true love and a fulfilling career but lives in the fear that she will be found and killed. Khashoggi is a product of an Islamic culture, similar to the fictious country of al-Remal and engages her audience in a suspenseful and entertaining story.

Women of Sand and Myrrh

Al-Shaykh, Hanan. Women of sand and myrrh,  St Leonards, N.S.W. : Allen & Unwin, 1988.

This is a story about four women friends in a unnamed Arab desert society, who try to make sense of their lives in a society where women are restricted and experience the diverse affects of extreme male rule.  There is Suha, fleeing from Lebanon and not used to the restrictions of a secluded arab life, Suzanne, an American woman in a failing marriage, who has more freedom and enjoys the Middle Eastern way of life and the attention of the men. Tamr who is a spirited desert woman and a student of Suha and Nur, also a local women, but a rich corrupt one.
The author uses powerful language  and depicts a society that is torn between Islamic tradition and the West. In her novels, the author attracts a large following for her tales of contemporary Arab women.

The Swallows of Kabul

Khadra, Yasmina.  The swallows of Kabul, London : Random House, 2005.

Set in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, the author illustrates the effects of repression on two couples living in Kabul.  The novel features Atiq, his sickly wife, Musarrat and the educated and progressive woman Zunaira, who ends up in prison and sentenced to death for the accidental killing of her husband, Mohsen.  The intense dissatisfaction of both couples is revealed and Zunaira’s story in particular, dramatizes the plight of the countless Afghanis who endured the medieval code and brutality when the Taliban was in power.
Like Khalid Hossiani’s The Kite Runner, this story give a superb illustration of the destiny of Afghani people.  It is thought provoking and was awarded the American Library Notable Books Award in 2005.

The Attack

Kahdra, Yasmina.  The attack, New York : Nan A. Talese, Doubleday, 2006.

In this book, the authors turn his attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in this moving story of a Bedouin Arab surgeon, Dr Amin Jaffri who struggles to be integrated into Israeli society.  The doctor’s life is turned upside down when there is a suicide-bomb attack near the hospital where he practises and he learns that his beloved wife, who perished in the attack, is the terrorist responsible.  To make sense of it all, Jaffri plunges into the Palestinian territories to discover the truth and the forces that enabled his wife to be recruited as a terrorist.
A powerful and engrossing story.

The Sirens of Baghdad

Khadra, Yasmina.  The Sirens of Baghdad.  London : William Heineman, 2007.

This is the author’s second novel and deals with a controversial topic and one that baffles so many Westerner’s to-day, the decision of an intelligent, educated Iraqi Bedouin to become a terrorist.  This political thriller is set in Iraq as the unnamed young man tell his story from returning to his tiny backward Iraqi village after the US bombing closed the Baghdad university to when GI’s break into his family’s home and humiliate his father.  He changes from an empathetic, violence-averse young man to a hate-filled radical and resolves to fight back and to seek revenge.  The powerful message in this book is how the invasion of Iraq has brutalised both the Iraqis and the Americans.
"The author, a former Algerian army officer has written a important and disturbing novel".

In The Walled Gardens

Firouz, Anahita. In the walled gardens, New York : Little, Brown and Company (Inc.), c2002.

This novel is set just before the revolution of 1979 in Iran and tells the story of Mashtee, a wealthy unhappily married woman and Reza, a marxist underground revolutionary whose father works for Mashtee's family.  Mahstee and Reza knew each other from childhood, but their lives have taken different courses. The two are worlds apart, until a terrible injustice causes Mashtee to question everything and with newly opened eyes she realises her heart lies with her childhood sweetheart. She discovers a love that has lain dormant for twenty years, but this love takes on more complex and threatening implications as the political situation in Teharan becomes more volatile. This Firouz's first novel and brings to life the tense atmosphere before the Iranian revolution.

Nadia's Song

Khashoggi, Soheir. Nadia’s song, London :  Batam Books, 2000.

This novel, set in Egypt is an engrossing tale of class conflict and family betrayal. Charles Austen is brought up on his father’s cotton plantation in Alexandria and has always led a privileged life, until his world is turned upside down.  He falls  in love with Karima Ismail, a servant girl who aspires to a singing career and their forbidden love affair is destined to end in tragedy.  Charles is killed in a car accident and Karima, pregnant with Charles’s baby is hastily married off to an older business man Munir, who raises the baby Nadia, as his own. In 1953 two-year old Nadia, Karima's daughter disappears.  This story entertwines the family’s fate with the political situation in Eygpt, including the Suez crisis and the war in Sinai in 1973. A thought provoking and fast-paced story with sympathic characters.

The Girls of Riyadh

Alsanea, Rajaa.  Girls of Riyadh, New York :  Penguin, 2007

This book, banned in the author’s own country of Saudi Arabia, is a timid “chick lit” story by American standards.  It tells the story of four Saudi Arabian girls Gamrah, Sadeem, Lamees and Michelle who are best friends.   They attend universities in Riyadh, Chicago and San Francisco are wealthy, fashionable, technologically savvy in their 20’s and looking for true love.  However they cannot escape the oppressive religious and cultural traditions when they return to their home country, where their life is dominated by prayer, family loyalty and physical modesty.  It is a “Sex and the City” type drama and not the book for readers looking for quality Arabic fiction.

Map of Love

Soueif, Ahdaf.  Map of Love, New York : Anchor Books, 1999.

This story is an exotic saga of family and romance. A recently divorced American journalist, Isabel Parkman travels to Egypt to research attitudes towards the impending millennium, but once in Egypt her investigations take on more of a personal note.  She discovers an Egyptian branch of the family she never knew through letters bequeathed to her by her mother.  Her story slowly unravels when Isabel returns the letters to the sister of an Egyptian doctor from New York, both of whom turn out to be her long- lost cousins.
This story, as well as being a story of Anna’s romance, offers insights into the history of the struggle for Egyptian independence from British rule.

Lisptick in Afghansitan

Gately, Roberta.  Lipstick in Afghanistan, New York : Gallery Books, 2010.

In this novel, Roberta Gately draws on her own experience of working as a humanitarian relief nurse in Afghanistan.  Elsa, the main character is a Boston nurse who puts her tragic life behind her and travels to Afghanistan to assist at a medical clinic.  The living conditions are harsh and one comfort she allows herself is lipstick, which helps her retain her identity beneath the veil. She falls in love with Mike, a handsome U.S. solider stationed nearby and befriends Parween, a plucky young Afghani widow who has a hatred of the Taliban and shares her love of lipstick.  Elsa and Parween frequently endanger themselves in order to help others.  This story is a small but an informative glimpse of life in Afghanistan and the lives of women in challenging times.
An engrossing and powerful read.

The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul

Rodriguez, Deborah. The little Coffee shop of Kabul, North Sydney. : Random House, 2011

This is the story of how five very different women, Sunny, an American and a proprietor of the coffee shop; Yasmina, a young pregnant Afghan woman stolen from a remote village and now abandon on Kabul’s streets; Candace, a wealthy American, who has left her husband for her Afghan lover; Isabel, an English journalist with a secretive past and Halajan, a sixty year-old Afghan women and den mother, come together in a coffee shop in Kabul, Afghanistan.  The author weaves a tale of life, death, romance and marriage, set in one of the most dangerous places on earth. The author, Deborah Rodriguez spent time working as a  hairdresser in a beauty salon in Kabul and has drawn from her own experiences to paint a vivid picture of Afghan life and culture.

Forbidden Love

Khoury, Norma. Forbidden love, Milsons Point, N.S.W. : Transworld Publishers, c2003.

This book, by controversial author, Norma Khoury tells the story of family honour killings in Amman, Jordan.  It is the story of Dalia, a single Arab Muslim living with her family in Amman, who falls in love with Michael, a Christian in the Royal Army whom she met at her hairdressing salon.  Dalia and Norma (the author) go to great lengths to find ways for Michael and Dalia to meet in secret.  One of Dalia’s brothers finds out about her relationship and she meets a tragic end at the hands of her family.  Originally classed as non-fiction when first published, this book was found to be full of lies and untruths and considered a fake.  A 10 minute clip of an interview by filmaker Anna Broinowski investigating Norma's book can be found on Youtube at;Norma Khouy/A literary hoax

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Hosseini, Khaled. A thousand splendid suns, London : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2007.

This is the author's second novel and the story covers three decades of turmoil in war-stricken Afghanistan and tells the story of two victimised but courageous women.  Mariam, is the poor illegitimate daughter of a housekeeper and a wealthy Afghan businessman, she is married off at the age 15 to an abusive and violent 40 year old cobbler Rasheed.  Laila is 14 and is smart, well-educated, and comfortably raised, who due to tragic circumstances becomes the second wife of Mariam’s husband.  At the heart of the novel is the relationship that develops between Mariam and Laila, against a backdrop of unending war. Readers who lost themselves in The Kite Runner will not want to miss this follow-up.

The Kite Runner

Hosseini, Khaled. The kite runner, New York : Riverhead Books, 2003.

This novel gives a glimpse of life in Afghanistan before the Russian invasion.  Amir is the son of a well to-do Kabul merchant, who craves the attention of his father and Hassan is the son of Amir’s father’s servant who is loyal, kind and self-confident.  Amir is jealous of Hassan and his own father’s affection for him.  One day during a kite flying contest when Hassan is helping Amir with his kite, he becomes trapped and raped by a bunch of bullies.  Amir witnesses the incident but is too terrified to help.  Shamed by his actions, the boys drift apart and Amir flees to America to avoid political persecution.  Years later when Amir learns of Hassan’s death under the Taliban, he returns to Afghanistan to learn the fate of Hassan’s son. A thought provoking, character-driven story that captures the reader's interest.