Rose’s Diaries

by Reem Al-Kamali

Rūza is a devoted reader and scholar, with a gift for writing. But after leaving school, she’s forbidden from joining her classmates to study Arabic literature in Damascus. Instead, she must return to her father’s house in the Shindagha district of Dubai, and await her family’s decisions on her future.

It’s the mid-1960s – a time of independence movements and the rise of Arab nationalism, before the founding of the United Arab Emirates. Rūza watches and listens in silence, pouring out her anger in her secret diaries. She tosses the notebooks into the waters of Dubai’s Creek, since it is shameful for a woman to write so creatively, but she longs for the freedom to express herself…

245 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2024

About the author

ريم الكمالي

Reem al-Kamali is a novelist, writer and researcher from the UAE, born in 1972. She is an editor of the cultural section of the Emirati Al-Bayan newspaper. Her published works include the novels The Sultanate of Hormuz (2013), which was awarded the Owais Prize for Creativity in 2015, The Statue of Dalma (2018) winner of the Sharjah Award for Arab Creativity, and Rose’s Diary (2021). In 2015, she took part in the writers’ workshop (Nadwa) for talented young writers organized by IPAF, where she worked on The Statue of Dalma. Reem al-Kamali studied history at university and is fascinated by archaeology, art, myths and culture in general.

Reviews

[Shyamala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my cuppa tea - started this with a lot of expectations. There were many parts that were good especially the story of the tall palm tree. A lot of the rest were vague and were hard to concentrate on. The book had potential especially with the backdrop and the main character. Overall a little underwhelming though some parts sparkled.

[Barry Avis]

Rose (or Ruz) is a young girl living in one of the more progressive emirates before the formation of the UAE. After the death of her mother and her father, she moves to her uncle’s home in Dubai, where traditional views dominate. Despite being an exemplary student with plans to study literature at an Iranian university, her dreams are dashed as women in Dubai face greater restrictions than in her previous home.
To cope with her situation, Rose keeps secret diaries, but she discards them to avoid embarrassing her family. She falls in love with her uncle’s wife’s brother, who discovers her diary one day while she is about to throw it into the water. Encouraging her to continue writing, he eventually proposes marriage to her family, who accept.
On the day of her wedding, Rose is filled with excitement, but her joy turns to devastation when her fiancé dies in an accident. Heartbroken, she loses all hope and is later betrothed to an elderly distant relative. Initially opposed to her desire to set up a library in their home, he eventually relents, allowing her the opportunity to read and write at last.

[Enigma · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not disappointed, coz my fellow Arab writers are usually not that good in writing novels. Aside from big Arab novelists , most of the Arabic stories/novels are not good to read. Best thing is, this “book?” is titled “Roses’s Diaries” but still, doesn’t have diaries traits. The chapters are too short, some of them have half a page of writing only! No inclusion of time at the beginning of the chapter to let it feel like a diary. Sadly, most Arab novelists write to attack the bad environment & up bringing they themselves lived regardless of the big picture. They love to show how upset they are with their surroundings showing of supremacy & arrogant above everyone. And it clearly showed here. Just because they were not writers like her, or having a short hair cut , she secluded herself. She could have had healthy conversations with her uncle, came closer to her grandmother, but no. She was closing her self up. I would never recommend such a diary to teenage coz its showing them how to shut down everyone & cry in private.