Heliopolis: Rebirth of the City of the SunAgnieszka Dobrowolska and Jaroslaw Dobrowolski, AUC Press, 2006
Five thousand pounds and a dream. That's all it took for Belgian Baron Edouard Empain to go ahead with his 'green oasis in the desert.' Today, walking down the magnificently tree-lined streets, under impressive buildings emanating a palpable aura of history and tradition, it's hard to believe Heliopolis was nothing more than a desert plateau just over 100 years ago. Agnieszka Dobrowolska and Jaroslaw Dobrowolski's beautifully crafted Heliopolis: Rebirth of the City of the Sun pays the perfect tribute to the leafy suburban city, succinctly encapsulating a century of history without bearing down on the reader with a ton of unnecessary facts. Indeed, 'Heliopolitans are likely to tell you there is actually very little to be gleaned from this book, with barely a few snippets of information they didn't already know. For those who have a passion for architecture, however, this book is a treasure trove of information. It traces at length the technical process by which the city came to be, the local and international architectural influences, while highlighting Heliopolis' major landmarks: The Cairo Palace Hotel (then the largest in the world), the Basilica and of course the palatial residential buildings. The work is broken up into five sections, the most enjoyable of which is the chapter entitled "The People Speak." Flip first to this series of mini-profiles of veteran Heliopolitans who talk fondly of their personal experiences of living in the Sun City. Meet Edward the bartender at perennial favorite Le Chantilly, diamond tycoon Berge Touloumbadijian and photography buff Emad Baki, from whom many of the book's illustrations come. Dobrowolska and Dobrowolski — themselves Heliopolis residents for 15 years — approached the European Union to help fund this AUC Press publication. The couple's passion for the city permeates every page of the book, with an impressive cache of antique and present-day photographs lovingly arranged alongside reprints of official documents, plans and permits. There is one glaring inconsistency readers are sure to immediately pick up the minute they turn to the last page. Despite the "Rebirth" touted in the title of the work, there is very little mention of any "rebirth" save for the work done in the run-up to the 2005 centennial celebrations. In fact, Heliopolis makes a point of chronicling how over the years the turn-of-the-century villas have been torn down for nondescript residential blocks, its streets jam-packed with traffic day and night and its once-abundant greenery eaten up by expanses of concrete. If anything the book ends on more of a sad note — nostalgia for Baron Empain's long-gone oasis in the desert. (NM) MuntahaHala El-Badry, translated by Nancy Roberts, AUC Press, 2006
Hala El-Badry's deft attention to detail is the hallmark of her fifth novel, Muntaha. Famous for A Certain Woman (AUC Press, 2003), which was awarded the prize for best novel of 2001 at the Cairo International Book Fair, El-Badry's descriptive prose exudes the cool, damp scent of the Egyptian countryside — one can almost hear the crickets chirping in the distance as the story unfolds. Set in a village, the book opens with a return and an escape. There is a truce in the 1948 Palestine War and Rushdy Al Musaylihi (brother of the village mayor, Taha) returns in the middle of the night. As Taha gets up to greet him, he catches Bashir — the household coffee server — sleeping with one of the servant girls. Naked, Bashir rushes up to the roof where Taha locks him up in a shed, only to be released by Taha's sister Ni'ma. This dramatic opening serves a double purpose; it throws the reader straight into the heart of domestic life in Egypt on the one hand, and puts a spotlight on the dynamics of gender relations on the other. In El-Badry's unique handling of these intricate bonds, she creates a whole spectrum of characters corresponding to a range of social standards. The village and the trials and tribulations of the mayor's family represent a microcosm of Egyptian political life during the turbulent events that led to the end of British presence in Egypt. Despite the lucid English version, much is lost in translation. Native Arabic speakers — especially Egyptians — will catch themselves doing instant interpretations in their heads as they read this colorful portrait of rural life. The images are not only true to life, but will resonate with anyone who has even the most superficial experience of that unique culture — even if only through Ramadan soap operas. (RM) Scribbling the CatAlexandra Fuller, Penguin Press, 2004
Author Alexandra Fuller's first book, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, recounts her childhood in Zimbabwe (the former Rhodesia), during its civil war. Her second book, again set in south-eastern Africa but this time revolving around her adult adventures and musings, begins with a visit to her family's home in Zambia. Fascinated by her parents' mysterious neighbor and further enticed by her father's warning that "curiosity scribbled the cat" ("scribble" is Afrikaans slang for "kill"), Fuller befriends the reclusive neighbor, a white Rhodesian war veteran whom she simply calls 'K.' Troubled by her own past experiences, namely guilt for her unconscious involvement in the war, Fuller hopes to find answers by journeying with K through the shateen (the African back country) of Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. As the trip progresses, she quickly discovers that although she and K have similar roots (both grew up in Africa), 30 years of civil war have scarred them, and the people they encounter, in remarkably different ways. While K relies on his faith to deal with moments of weakness, personal demons and nightmarish war memories, some of his war comrades have turned to alcohol and isolation, and the locals attempt to mend emotional wounds as they struggle to economically survive. All of this is in sharp contrast to Fuller's current place in life as an American "mommy," which seems at times superficial and unfulfilling. Through vivid prose, unique description and the incorporation of Afrikaans and local Shona slang, Fuller brings to life the realities of Rhodesia's war, complete with personal pains and victims' scars, without delving too much into political history. It is her own connection, interaction and relationship with K that the story revolves around. Although married, Fuller is attracted to K. She's enamored by his power and rugged handsomeness, and mesmerized by his contradictions. He can be both violent and emotionally vulnerable, cruel and generous, repentant and angry. But Fuller sees him as a decent man, a man troubled by war-fueled rage, a failed marriage and painful memories of the death of an only son. His newfound Christianity provides him with only partial absolution. Gradually, K confesses the sins of his past soldier self to Fuller, unknowingly turning the trip into a journey of atonement for her complicity as a white girl in Rhodesia's war of white supremacy. K reminisces grimly about his war deeds, tales involving nightmarish tortures and gruesome murders from his days of leading soldiers through the bush to launch attacks on forces hostile to the Rhodesian government. His emotional testaments cause the duo to cover as much mental landscape as physical African bush country but in the end it is unclear if these confessions hurt or healed K. The story seems to be less a tale of reconciliation, and in fact, more an account and warning of what can happen when a person tries to look too closely into their own past. (NAS) The Loved OnesAlia Mamdouh, AUC Press, 2006
In a Paris hospital behind door number 44 lies Suhaila, in a coma, and unaware of the world around her. Her close friends and son, Nader, fly from all around the world to stand by her, watching and hoping that she will recover, immersed in their stories and letters. The Loved Ones, by Alia Mamdouh, clearly portrays Suhaila's pre-Paris life through the eyes of her son. Suhaila comes alive for the reader as we find out about her past: an abusive husband, her exile from her home country of Iraq, a difficult and painful separation from her only son and a love for dancing and the arts in general. Suhaila's close friends crowd around her bed to exchange stories and reminisce about the lives they had shared with her. They read passages from her diary of her days spent in Paris, illustrating her vibrant personality, the pain and hurt she has endured, and the strong woman she has come to be — all the while hoping that if she has been able to endure all of that, she will make it through this. Although it takes the reader a few chapters to realize what's going on and who the narrator is, the story does pick up in pace. Eventually more of Suhaila's history, including how she ended up in Paris, is unveiled. The relationship between Suhaila and her friends and each friend's perspective of her also becomes clearer as the story progresses. Mamdouh, an Iraqi, has written many other books covering the Iraqi experience from different points of view, including: Layla wa Al-Dhib (Layla and the Wolf), Habbat Al-Naftalin (Mothballs) which was translated into seven languages, and Al-Wala (Passion). The Loved Ones, originally titled Al Mahbubat, received the Naguib Mahfouz Award in 2004. (YM) Palestine: Peace not ApartheidJimmy Carter, Simon & Schuster, 2006
The number of books that have addressed the subject of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is countless, but until a year ago none of them had ever been authored by a former United States president and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Jimmy Carter, who successfully negotiated the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel in 1978, provides a unique vantage point through his book Palestine: Peace not Apartheid. The politician's constant involvement in the region, even after leaving office, has resulted in insightful, first-hand knowledge and a deep understanding of the complex issues that need to be resolved in order to achieve comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Through vivid descriptions and humorous comments, Carter provides the reader with a behind-the-scenes look at his term in presidency, laying special emphasis on the Camp David negotiations between Sadat and Begin. Rather than offering a day-to-day account of that period, he focuses on the pertinent elements and factors that form the roots of the present crisis in the Middle East. Making excellent use of his personal notes taken during meetings with various Arab leaders, Carter proceeds to evaluate the main players in the conflict by briefly reviewing their historical background and assessing their respective influence on both the Israelis and the Palestinians. In a chapter entitled "My Visits With Palestinians," Carter speaks from the heart about his regular trips to the region, giving poignant voice to the Palestinians living under Israeli occupation to air their grievances and talk about the suffering and injustice they face in their daily lives — not only at the hands of the Israeli military forces but also at the hands of the settlers. In the second part of the book, Carter examines the Middle East peace process from its hopeful beginnings in 1993 until today's stalemate. He argues that any step-by-step approach to peace, such as the Oslo Agreement or the Roadmap for Peace, is doomed to fail because the Israelis typically use it as a stalling technique. Insisting on an endless list of preconditions that the Palestinians can never realize, he continues, they have simultaneously changed the reality on the ground to their advantage with the building of the Imprisonment Wall. The resulting frustration and desperation on the Palestinian side usually leads to acts of violence against the Israelis who in turn respond with more oppression and reprisals. Carter identifies two interconnected factors that have allowed this tragic cycle to continue: "The condoning of illegal Israeli actions from a submissive White House and US Congress during recent years, and the deference with which other international leaders permit this unofficial US policy in the Middle East to prevail." Carter instead calls for a more comprehensive strategy that allows for immediate final status negotiations and deals decisively with major postponed issues such as the settlements, permanent boundaries, the right of return of the Palestinians and the territory of Jerusalem. Mixing sharp political analysis with candid personal impressions, Carter delivers a profound book that is, in its essence, a passionate plea for leaders on both sides to accept painful but inevitable political concessions, ignore extremists and militants and listen to the voice of the majority of their own citizens who merely crave a peaceful future. (IS) et | 
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