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Les Ardentes
Les ardentes « Alors, dans le roulis du bateau, au rythme des flots et des gémissements, l'enfant naquit. Une fille. Petite chose silencieuse au départ, jusqu'à ce que, d'un coup sec, l'air salé pénètre ses poumons. Elle est née de la mer. Elle ne m'appartiendra jamais vraiment. On lui donna le nom de Amal, qui signifie « espoir », Quelques heures plus tard, le navire entrait dans le port de Beyrouth. Personne à bord ne savait encore que ce nourrisson bercé par les vagues porterait plus tard le nom d'Asmahan, et que sa voix, grave et troublante, ferait vibrer tout un monde. Il arrive que les océans enfantent des voix que la terre ne peut retenir longtemps. »Qu'il s'agisse d'Asmahan, chanteuse devenue espionne, de l'admirable Malala, militante pour les droits des femmes, de Horra, souveraine et corsaire redoutée, ou de Shagarat, première femme sultane d'Egypte, Gilbert Sinoué retrace quatorze destins de femmes d'Orient, réelles ou légendaires, avec son prodigieux talent de conteur.
352 pages, Paperback
Published September 24, 2026
About the author
Gilbert Sinoué
80 books562 followersSee also: جيلبرت سينويه
At age 19, after studying at a Catholic Jesuit school in Cairo, Sinoué went to France to study at the national music conservatory in Paris. He became skilled in classical guitar. He later taught classical guitar to others and started writing.
In 1987, at about age 40, he published his first novel, La Pourpre et l’olivier ou Calixte 1er le pape oublié (The Crimson and the Olive Tree or Calixte I the Forgotten Pope). It earned the Jean d’Heurs prize for best historical novel. In 1989, he published Avicenne ou La route d'Ispahan, relating the life of Avicenna (Abu Ali Ibn Sina in Arabic), the Persian doctor, philosopher and scientist.
His novels and other books span a variety of genres. Sinoué's third novel The Egyptian is the first of a saga set in Egypt of the 18th and 19th centuries. Published in 1991, this novel won the literary prize Quartier latin. In the biography L'ambassadrice (2002), Sinoué relates the life of Emma, Lady Hamilton.
In 2004 his thriller Les Silences de Dieu (The Silences of God) won le Grand prix de littérature policière (Grand Prize for Mystery/Detective Literature).
Gilbert Sinoué quickly established himself as an engaging storyteller and master of a variety of genres. His biography, The last phar'aoh, depicts the battle of Mehmet Ali, the pacha, with the Ottoman empire. In the thriller Le Livre de Saphir (The Sapphire Book), the narrator converses with God.
In addition to writing books, Gilbert Sinoué is a scriptwriter and screenwriter.
At age 19, after studying at a Catholic Jesuit school in Cairo, Sinoué went to France to study at the national music conservatory in Paris. He became skilled in classical guitar. He later taught classical guitar to others and started writing.
In 1987, at about age 40, he published his first novel, La Pourpre et l’olivier ou Calixte 1er le pape oublié (The Crimson and the Olive Tree or Calixte I the Forgotten Pope). It earned the Jean d’Heurs prize for best historical novel. In 1989, he published Avicenne ou La route d'Ispahan, relating the life of Avicenna (Abu Ali Ibn Sina in Arabic), the Persian doctor, philosopher and scientist.
His novels and other books span a variety of genres. Sinoué's third novel The Egyptian is the first of a saga set in Egypt of the 18th and 19th centuries. Published in 1991, this novel won the literary prize Quartier latin. In the biography L'ambassadrice (2002), Sinoué relates the life of Emma, Lady Hamilton.
In 2004 his thriller Les Silences de Dieu (The Silences of God) won le Grand prix de littérature policière (Grand Prize for Mystery/Detective Literature).
Gilbert Sinoué quickly established himself as an engaging storyteller and master of a variety of genres. His biography, The last phar'aoh, depicts the battle of Mehmet Ali, the pacha, with the Ottoman empire. In the thriller Le Livre de Saphir (The Sapphire Book), the narrator converses with God.
In addition to writing books, Gilbert Sinoué is a scriptwriter and screenwriter.
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