Book Description
This rich collection of contemporary short stories will sweep readers into the heat and passions of the Arabian world. The unique rhythm of each tale combines to create a collection that brings about greater understanding. From the opening tale, where a lovestruck woman plots to attract her neighbor, to the trials of a young woman braving a war zone to retrieve medication for her mother, this anthology is filled with themes and emotions that readers from all over the world will relate to. The writing styles are diverse. The story of a mythical bird, the arfaj, is reminiscent of Aesop’s Fables. There are even touches of the supernatural, as one author spins the story of a student who gets ethereal assistance preparing his graduate thesis. “It is very easy to simplify, stereotype, and misunderstand cultures that we are unfamiliar with. In choosing the pieces for translation, Abdallah Altaiyeb presents a society, family dynamics, and perspectives that, in many ways, mirror our lives in the West. Translating someone else’s work is a monumental task. Doing it well is an artform. This is a masterful job of choosing stories that paint vivid pictures that know no borders.” – Gene Gumbs, journalist and author
