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Mahitab Mahmoud

Goodreads Author

Website

https://sites.google.com/view/mahitabmahmoud/home

Genre

Fiction, Gay and Lesbian, Contemporary

Member Since

November 2025

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/mahitabmahmoud

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Mahitab Mahmoud is an author, educator, and researcher whose work explores the inner lives, silence, and resilience of women, men, and the LGBTQ+ individuals in the face of cultural and societal expectations and toxic masculinity. She is the author of When Silence Shatters: A Collection of Short Stories. Her stories give voice to characters navigating oppression, identity, and love across Egypt and beyond. She splits her time between Connecticut and New York City. Mahitab holds a Master’s degree in English, and she is pursuing her second in Special Education at Adelphi University. She has taught English, Linguistics and Research Methods at private universities in Cairo and Alexandria. She now works in New York City as a certified teacher. H Mahitab Mahmoud is an author, educator, and researcher whose work explores the inner lives, silence, and resilience of women, men, and the LGBTQ+ individuals in the face of cultural and societal expectations and toxic masculinity. She is the author of When Silence Shatters: A Collection of Short Stories. Her stories give voice to characters navigating oppression, identity, and love across Egypt and beyond. She splits her time between Connecticut and New York City. Mahitab holds a Master’s degree in English, and she is pursuing her second in Special Education at Adelphi University. She has taught English, Linguistics and Research Methods at private universities in Cairo and Alexandria. She now works in New York City as a certified teacher. Her research has been presented at international conferences in Barcelona, Kaliningrad, and Cairo, reflecting her dedication to bridging literature, language, and social justice. She also wrote articles for Outfront Magazine.

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Link to the book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/24vNSQW

Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers’ Favorite

When Silence Shatters by Mahitab Mahmoud is a collection of original short stories, all of which, in their own way, lean into societal pressures and personal agency in Egyptian life. In Stained, Mariam intervenes when a teenage girl is harassed, confronting public scrutiny and social media attention while looking back on a past relationship and the influence of a controlling psychiatrist. The Niche follows Farida as she prepares for her sister Nesma’s arranged marriage meeting, observing and responding to traditional engagement rituals while asserting independence against family expectations and social norms. Because They Can traces young Rahma’s life under paternal control, including forced marriage and abuse, while she seeks autonomy through education and support from relatives, alongside the broader societal challenges faced by LGBTQ individuals.

Mahitab Mahmoud’s When Silence Shatters is a beautiful, careful handling of human feeling and story design. While it is difficult to pick a favorite among the collection, At 7:00 PM stands out as a heartening tale of connection and brief recognition, following Layla as she notices and is noticed by Tina during routine evenings at the grocery store. A close second is The Dolls Theater, with its portrayal of constructed gender roles through six-year-old Malika, who wants a toy that is considered inappropriate for girls during Eid al-Fitr. Across the collection, Mahmoud’s observation of gesture, dialogue, and the importance of ordinary moments makes every story sing, and with tight writing and a gift for subverting reader expectation, Mahmoud packs a big punch in her bite-sized stories. ...more

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Average rating: 5.0 · 7 ratings · 6 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

When Silence Shatters: A Collection of Short Stories

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Dream Count

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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Nov 17, 2025 04:38AM

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Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

by Brené Brown (Goodreads Author)

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Nov 03, 2025 03:16AM

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Mahitab Mahmoud shared a quote “Silence is multifunctional. It can be an attitude, an answer, a warning, a way to avoid a fight, a sedative, and a secret keeper. Silence is the mute heart, the lonely ache, the hidden feeling, the guilty conscience, the disappointment, the shame, the private victory. Silence is “sorry,” “don’t leave,” “help,” “forgive me,” “miss you,” “love you,” and “shut up.” Silence can carry messages more eloquent than the best public speaker. It’s a language no one but its users can hear.” Mahitab Mahmoud
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Mahitab Mahmoud and 2 other people liked Sara Akl's review of When Silence Shatters: A Collection of Short Stories: "A heart-wrenching glimpse into the harsh reality of ostensibly normal lives."
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Quotes by Mahitab Mahmoud (?)

“Silence is multifunctional. It can be an attitude, an answer, a warning, a way to avoid a fight, a sedative, and a secret keeper. Silence is the mute heart, the lonely ache, the hidden feeling, the guilty conscience, the disappointment, the shame, the private victory. Silence is “sorry,” “don’t leave,” “help,” “forgive me,” “miss you,” “love you,” and “shut up.” Silence can carry messages more eloquent than the best public speaker. It’s a language no one but its users can hear.”
― Mahitab Mahmoud, When Silence Shatters: A Collection of Short Stories