Live from Cairo

by Ian Bassingthwaighte

*A PEN/HEMINGWAY AWARD FINALIST
* A KIRKUS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

From a hugely talented, award-winning young author, a brilliant, lively debut novel about an impulsive American attorney, a methodical Egyptian translator, and a disillusioned Iraqi-American resettlement officer trying to protect a refugee who finds herself trapped in Cairo during the turbulent aftermath of the January 25 revolution.

Cairo, 2011. President Mubarak has just been ousted from power. The oldest city in the world is reeling from political revolution, its consequent hopes and fears, its violence, triumphs, and defeats. But for the people actually living there, daily life has not slowed down but become wilder, more dangerous, and, occasionally, freeing.

Live from Cairo is the exuberant, dazzling story of these Dalia, a strong-willed Iraqi refugee who finds herself trapped in Egypt after her petition to resettle in America with her husband is denied. Charlie, her foolhardy attorney, whose frustration with the legal bureaucracy and complicated feelings for Dalia have led him to forge a not entirely legal plan to get her out. Aos, Charlie’s fastidious translator and only friend, who spends his days trying to help people through the system and his nights in Tahrir Square protesting against it. And Hana, a young and disenchanted Iraqi-American resettlement officer; she is the worker assigned to Dalia’s case, deciding whether to treat her plight as merely one more piece of paperwork, or as a full-blooded human crisis. As these individuals come together, a plot is formed to help Dalia. But soon laws are broken, friendships and marriages are tested, and lives are risked—all in an effort to protect one person from the dangerous sweep of an unjust world.

A vibrant portrait of a city in all its teeming chaos and glory, Live from Cairo is an exhilarating, electrifying debut, and a stunning testament to the unconquerable desire of people to rise above tragedy to seek love, friendship, humor, and joy.

Genres: Fiction, Egypt, Contemporary, Adult, Africa, Middle East, Literary Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published July 11, 2017

About the author

Ian Bassingthwaigthe was a Fulbright Grantee in Egypt in 2009, where he worked in a legal aid office that served refugees from Iraq, Sudan, and the Horn of Africa.

He has been honored with Hopwood Awards for both novel writing and short fiction. He was also named as a finalist for the Daniel Pearl Investigative Journalism Initiative. His work has appeared in Esquire, National Geographic, the Chicago Tribune, The Sun, Tin House, The Rumpus, and many other publications.

Live from Cairo is his first novel.

Reviews

[J.L. Sutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

“How could he uphold the law when that law upheld injustice?”



In Live from Cairo, Ian Bassingthwaighte captures the restless energy and the danger behind the protests of the Arab Spring in 2011. Several points of view center around the plight of an Iraqi refugee named Dalia who is trapped in Cairo and unable to join her husband in the U.S. Hosni Mubarak has been overthrown, but bureaucracy is still alive and well.

Bassingthwaighte handles the POVs deftly. Each character has a unique perspective, but moves the story forward. Despite his best efforts, though, Dalia’s attorney, Charlie, from the Refugee Relief Project seems unable to help her. He, like many other characters in this novel, is stuck in place. Bassingthwaighte also provides POVs from Charlie’s translator, Aos, Dalia’s husband, Omran and caseworker, Hana. Charlie, Hana and Aos take desperate but very questionable steps to help reunite Dalia with her husband in a safer place. That’s when events spiral out of control. Very engaging read!

Wonderful to have Ian read from his work in Wyoming!

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cairo, 2011. President Mubarak is ousted from power. The political climate had made it impossible to avoid skirmishes between the army, protesters and the police. Refugees who have escaped war are stuck in street fights as libraries and police stations go up in flame, glass bottles of flammable liquid are thrown and the force of water cannons is unleashed on the populace. Thousands of refugees, trapped in Cairo during the aftermath of the January 25 revolution, file resettlement petitions. Only a fraction of the petitions are approved.

Charlie, an American attorney and Aos, his translator, work for the Refugee Relief Project in Cairo. Their goal: to send every refugee to a safer place. This will not happen. Higher priority is given to victims of abduction, torture, rape or extreme medical necessity. One such refugee is Dalia. Her completed application was recently denied by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Hana, a newly appointed Iraqi-American resettlement officer has sent a rejection letter to Charlie's office regarding Dalia's petition.

Dalia's case is compelling. Omran, her husband, worked for the American Army Engineering Brigade and was involved in rebuilding exploded pipes and water main breaks. The militia painted Omran as an enemy. He was tortured, beaten and lost an eye. The American Embassy, believing in non-negotiation, offered limited resources. Dalia did unspeakable things to win Omran's release. Omran has resettled in America, however, Dalia has not. Although married according to village tradition, no legal documentation of their marriage exists.

Charlie, Aos, Hana and Dalia embark upon a dangerous path of questionable legality to reunite Dalia and Omran in America. There will be resultant risks and repercussions for trying to work the system and settle Dalia abroad.

Charlie has taken a special interest in Dalia. His amorous feelings toward her have compelled him to place her resettlement petition at the top of his enormous case load. He is determined to convince or coerce Aos and Hana to jump on board and use extraordinary measures to change the narrative of Dalia's quest for safety.

"Live from Cairo: A Novel" by Ian Bassingthwaighte handily addresses the refugee crisis in war torn Iraq. Many refugees must repatriate to their home countries or integrate into the country they flee to. How can they make new lives if, as non-citizens, they cannot find employment? Most are trapped in a web of impossibility and inhumanity. There is no easy solution. Ian Bassingthwaighte has written a superb tome on the difficult path for refugees and asylum seekers.

Thank you Scribner and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Live from Cairo".

[Esil · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+ stars. I so wish I had liked Live from Cairo more. It deals with really timely topics -- refugees trying to get to the US and the violence under military rule in Egypt. It has an interesting set of characters -- Americans Charlie and Hana working in Cairo for agencies more or less efficiently helping displaced people gain refugee status -- and an Iraqi couple trying to reunite despite the quagmire of paperwork and hearings. And it started off well -- the author made me feel like I was getting a real flavour of Cairo in all of its troubles. But then it felt like the writer's imagination got the better of him -- he threw in way too much plot and drama leaving me feeling like the characters I had come to care for had become cartoonish, albeit tragically so. But don't trust my review. There are some very enthusiastic reviews for this one. Based on the beginning, I think I was looking for something different. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book appealed to me as I lived in Egypt from 2008 to 2015 however it wasn't what I was expecting at all. It could have been set anywhere; Cairo didn't feel like Cairo to me in the book.

I couldn't relate to the characters, I felt the author explained crumbs on a seat belt better than he pulled me into the character lives.

Perhaps my disappointment is because I was there in this time and for me the book didn't do it justice, it was bland, wordy and forgettable unfortunately.

[Cindy Burnett (Thoughts from a Page) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars

Live from Cairo starts out very strong, and I thoroughly enjoyed the first third of the book. Ian Bassingthwaighte writes beautifully and intelligently, and he captures the sense of unrest and unease felt by the residents of Cairo following the ouster of Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Cairo is under a curfew, and individuals fleeing neighboring Middle East countries find themselves trapped in Egypt. While Live from Cairo focuses on the plight of an Iraqi woman, Dalia, whose husband has already left for the United States, the story has much broader implications. As the world continues to battle an ever-worsening refugee crisis, I appreciated Bassingthwaighte’s detailed descriptions of the political and religious conflicts in the region, and his incorporation of a personal element as well made the story engaging. My one complaint was that the book was too drawn out; a shorter, more concise resolution would have made the book a solid 4-4.5 for me. Thanks to the publisher for the chance to read and review this thought-provoking novel. I was certainly glad I read it.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story based on the political and social happenings in Egypt. I enjoyed reading about the effects on people but some of the decisions frustrated me. I guess that’s a sign of a good piece. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Marchpane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Live from Cairo is about people operating in grey areas: NGO lawyers whose morality conflicts with the law; refugees who are displaced, living in limbo while their right to resettle is assessed; local Egyptians whose love for their homeland abuts their hatred for the regime.

Egypt’s revolution of 2011, which ousted Hosni Mubarak and resulted in violent clashes between protesters and armed forces, forms the backdrop of the book. It’s not the main focus of the plot, but the constant threat of brutality informs everything that happens. The writing’s economical style creates momentum and a sense of urgency that does not let up. The final chapters in particular make for tense, nail-biting stuff!

Some characters felt more fully realised than others. Hana the UNHCR bureaucrat, despite a tragic backstory, remained inscrutable. On the other hand, Aos the Egyptian translator, was heartbreakingly real to me. And while I don’t expect that everyone will live happily ever after in this kind of story, I was left a little unsatisfied by the fact that so much is unresolved at the end.

I found this book to be gripping, affecting, and horizon-broadening. Live from Cairo is a terrific read.

[Trish]

Loved everything about the concept of this novel, but found the recount of minutiae at the start put me off. Every movement, every step is recorded. I am a little too busy to sink into anything unless it yanks me in and holds me down. This didn't do that.

[Mainlinebooker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific book that is incredibly timely. Set in Egypt after the overthrow of Mubarak ,the book focuses on a young woman who has escaped from Iraq but finds herself rootless in Egypt. Her husband's immigration to the US was approved due to emotional hardship but hers was denied. The story revolves around her attempts to get papers and the people involved in the process. A disillusioned idealistic lawyer, his translator, and a young Iraqi American resettlement officer from UNHCR round out the cast of characters that play out the difficulties of asylum and refugees and the inhumanity of the situation. Captivating language and characters combined with a superb and fitting tale to the world of 2017 makes this a must read.Anyone with a heart cannot help but be touched by the reality posed within these pages.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The book details the hardships faced by those who lived through the Egyptian revolution in 2011. The story helps to humanize the revolution. We are introduced to refugees who enter Egypt in the hopes of finding a better life. Lawyers and UN workers who dedicate their time and life to helping those refugees. Egyptian citizens who struggle with post Mubarak life, being part of the revolution, and how they can be a part of the solution.

I found it interesting that the main focus of the story was on a refugee rather than the protesters in Tahrir. It made me think of the revolution and refugees's in a whole other light. One of the most poignant quotes reads Hearts don't break, they simply continue. This perfectly sums up the plight of our characters. I constantly found myself thinking about how I would react if it were me in these situations. I think that is a testament in itself to the power of this novel.

Thank you to the publishers for making this available to me through NetGalley.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really great book. I've thought a lot about it and would like to write more about it but don't have time. It really makes you think, but it's also funny and relatable. It brings to life the issues of refugees which are so timely. It also brings to life in incredible detail the experience of living and working in Cairo. As a social worker, the book spoke to me about the challenge of trying to help people when the agencies and systems that you work in are not neccesarily set up to help in the optimal way. When is it ok to deviate from your role? To break the law? What to do when being professional and being ethical are not the same thing? I will be thinking about this book for a long time. Thanks to the publisher & Goodreads for a review copy.

[Stephen Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised by this book. I went into it thinking it would be political and about "big issues" like immigration, war, revolution, government, bureaucracy, etc.--which it is, of course. But it's also surprisingly human, tender, and perhaps most notably, really funny. The characters are not just likeable, but whole, complicated, and messy. I felt really invested in what happened to them. I guess that's a good measure of a successful book: whether or not it can make me care. This one did.

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This time my international reading was set in Egypt. A place that normally fascinates me historically, back in the day of pharaohs. The recent events have put the country in the news quite often and I was interested in the literary perspective. Set during the tempestuous post revolution, post president's ousting from power time of 2011, the novel links several individual storylines that gets inextricably tangled up as one woman tries to leave Egypt to go be with her beloved but not entirely legal partner in the US. It's a fascinating look at the immigration and refugee crisis, because of its intimacy. Faceless throngs are infinitely easier to hate and ignore, personalize an account, make it real or realistic enough for the reader to care bout and there's a chance a mind might be changed or at least broadened. It's a difficult book to read, emotionally devastating at times, but not utterly pessimistic or hopeless, because time and again kindness, bravery and generosity of spirit do seem to triumph. The book is well written, most auspicious of a debut, at times overwritten (motivations overexplained or actually more like every single motivation explained leaving nothing to imagination), but overall very nicely done. The author knows what he's writing about too, having actually traveled to Egypt and it shows in details and vividness with which he brings that world to life. Do yourself a favor and check out his website for some terrific photography, some of which serves as a perfect companion to this book. Heavy but worthy read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

[Judith Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book to review from NetGalley from another author who is new to me. The story is set in Cairo in 2011 following the departure of Mubarak. So…
Four lives are completely changed by the end of the book. Plotting and planning have some disastrous results and don't necessarily reach the desired conclusion.
We're introduced to Charlie, an American lawyer working in Cairo and acting on behalf of refugees seeking to escape to a new life in a new country. We meet Aos his friend and colleague. Aos is an Egyptian translator and apart from his adopted dog Ruby, Aos is Charlie's only friend.
Into this mix comes Hana, newly arrived from the US to work at UNHCR - the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. Her job is to accept or reject applications for resettlement. Hana is initially overwhelmed by the number of applicants and her role in determining their future.
And Dalia an Iraqi refugee and one of those seeking to leave Egypt to join her husband in Boston. When her petition is rejected she finds herself trapped in Cairo.
This is a book full of detail, of humans meeting inhuman systems, told by a gifted writer who takes us to this other time and other place. To say I couldn't put it down would be wrong. I found myself putting it down again and again while I thought of how people live following a revolution and the results of this on their lives.
I would strongly recommend this book and thank the publishers for making it available to me prior to its publication in July this year.

[Laura Hoffman Brauman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exceptionally good debut novel about a group of peole working in various ways to help refugees in Egypt find new homes in the west. You can feel the weight of the hopelessness that they feel in their task, and it leads them to making some decisions that could be considered dangerous and flawed (depending on your perspective). Despite the seriousness of the subject, Bassingthwaighte interjects some humor without being overdone and it works well at providing balance. These characters are multidimensional and every one feels like a real person with their own motivations and back story that is completely their own. Complex, but not complicated -- I enjoyed and appreciated this read.

[Jonathan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish. Started out strong, but halfway through the book I became so bored that I had no desire to finish.

[Maria Beltrami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mentre le cosiddette potenze occidentali scaricano bombe in giro per il mondo, la gente normale fugge, lascia la sua casa e condizioni di vita che sono diventate inumane e insicure. Queste stesse potenze occidentali però vorrebbero imporre limiti a queste fughe dettate dalla disperazione, così in molte molti luoghi dove i profughi si raccolgono sorgono uffici nei quali i loro casi vengono valutati, per vedere se queste persone sono degne di raggiungere l'agognato occidente. Così è al Cairo, dove Dalia è bloccata perché non esistono documenti ufficiali del suo matrimonio con un uomo che invece è riuscito a raggiungere l'America e perché il suo caso non è ritenuto urgente. In realtà Dalia è troppo pudica e orgogliosa per dire davanti alla gelida donna americana che la interroga che cosa ha realmente subito, e la sua istanza di emigrazione viene respinta. C'è un uomo che però sa come stanno le cose, ed è Charlie, un avvocato americano per la difesa dei diritti umani, che, pur essendo innamorato della donna, fa il possibile e l'impossibile per mandarla via da lì, anche perché nel frattempo in Egitto è iniziata la rivoluzione, e quel poco di sicurezza che avrebbe potuto esserci, non c'è più. Mano a mano che Charlie porta avanti i tentativi per mandare legalmente la donna in America, gli avvenimenti diventano più convulsi, disperati eppure a loro modo ridicoli, scivolando inesorabilmente verso la catastrofe.
Ottimo libro, ben scritto, che fa luce su una realtà che noi non conosciamo, o forse non vogliamo conoscere.
Ringrazio Scribner e Netgalley per avermi fornito una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta.

While the so-called Western powers discharge bombs all around the world, normal people flee, leave their homes and living conditions that have become inhumane and insecure. These Western powers, however, would like to impose limits on these desperate drifts, so in many places where refugees gather, there are offices in which their cases are being assessed, to see if these people are worthy of reaching the coveted West. So it is in Cairo, where Dalia is locked because there are no official documents of her marriage with a man who has managed to reach America and because her case is not urgent. In fact, Dalia is too pragmatic and proud to speak in front of the frosty American woman who asks her what she really suffered, and her instance of emigration is rejected. There is a man who knows how things are, named Charlie, an American human rights lawyer, who, while being in love with the woman, makes the possible and the impossible to send her away, also because in Egypt has in the meantime begun the revolution, and that little security that could have been there is no more. As Charlie keeps trying to legally send the woman to America, events become more convulsive, desperate, and yet ridiculous, slipping inexorably to the catastrophe.
Great book, well written, that lights up a reality we do not know, or maybe we do not want to know.
I thank Scribner and Netgalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Karen K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

LIVE FROM CAIRO is plot-driven, suspenseful, and offers a compelling window into the plight of refugees. Bassignthwaighte lived in Egypt as a Fulbright Scholar, and writes with authentic attention to details. In the wake of Egyptian President Mubarak’s resignation, armed soldiers patrol Cairo’s streets to quell mass demonstrations and enforce curfew. “Protesters carried signs and rocks. Soldiers carried bigger guns and radios. Each radio could turn one soldier into a truckload.”

Cairo has become a waypoint for refugees from Iraq, Somalia, Sudan who are seeking resettlement in more peaceful European or American locales. Migrants with temporary status exist in limbo as they petition the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for asylum. The stakes are high—for ordinary citizens as well as for the influx of migrants. “Some people said the Egyptian Museum had become a makeshift prison. At night, police hauled protesters to the basement and tortured them…”

The novel, cinematic in scope and intensity, explores a gray moral area where young staff members judge the merits of each petitioner for asylum. One American attorney, Charlie, thinks he loves Iraqi refugee Dalia. Dalia seeks to join her husband, Omran, in Boston. Omran received a pass to go to America because he’d worked for them in Baghdad. Hana’s petition is at first denied, in part because she cannot produce official marriage documents, and she also refuses to recount grim details of being raped by prison guards. In a “Gift of the Magi” paradox, when Dalia is on the verge of receiving (forged) transit papers to America, her husband Omran leaves his sanctuary in America, flying to Cairo to join her.

Another American, Hana, finds herself torn between upholding the stated protocol of the UNHCR, or following her instinct to grant a pass to any deserving refugee. In one of the major paradoxes of the novel—and of our times—there are so few official permits available for so many asylum seekers that only the most suffering of the suffering stand a chance to receive official passports to permanent resettlement elsewhere.

This novel opened my awareness to the magnitude of the contemporary refugee crisis. According to official UNHCR statistics (July, 2017) there are 20 people forcibly displaced every minute, worldwide. Currently, more than 65 million people are displaced, either internally, or living temporarily in refugee camps or waypoints such as Cairo. Live from Cairo offers a compelling cast of characters snared in a particular historic moment.

What the novel needs (why 4 stars instead of 5) is more love, more inner story of the characters. What our real-world also needs: more love with characters and people experiencing the powers of love and emotional resonance. Inside this ruined and violent world, there must be more moments of felt-wonder.

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley.

[Renee (some kind of a library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

" The right to migrate was really the right to move on fro your suffering. The right to joy, to reunion. The right to forget." p.71

"Her prayers had gotten lost in a city full of protests, full of smoke."

Told from the perspectives of multiple characters, Live from Cairo is a story about what it takes to make the 'right' decision, to overcome politics and prejudice and fear to save somebody. Whether or not it succeeds in the end. Live from Cairo takes place during the Egyptian revolutions of 2011, after the overthrow of Mubarak. The characters we meet are grappling with curfews, with the army around every corner who takes people to the basement of the museum and tortures them to prove a point, as well as with their own personal struggles. Together, this combination creates a rather intense sequence of events that center around a refugee named Dalia who is stuck in Cairo awaiting a pass to meet her husband in the United States.

I cannot say enough how surprising the entire story was for me. I enjoyed meeting each of the characters, seeing their lives unfold in a setting and story that was very outside of what I normally read. I really don't know much about what is involved with refugees applying for leave to other countries. Seeing these characters grapple with the concept that Dalia is just a drop in the bucket when it comes to the sheer number of people just like her wanting to escape their home countries, despite how devastating her personal story was, I couldn't wrap my own mind around it. The unlikely friendships formed around her case, as Hana and Charlie become more and more consumed with saving Dalia for as much their own personal reasons as anything else, made this such an interesting read.

I tried not to spend too much time caught up in what I didn't know, the riots and the political atmosphere, etc. I did some research after I finished but felt it wasn't necessary to the story that I do so while I was reading it. The characters themselves and the writing alone were enough to carry me through some of the confusing parts to the end. I cannot say enough how much I appreciated the ending to this story either. What could've been tied up nicely was made more realistic and believable than I could have hoped or anticipated.

I highly recommend this book! Live from Cairo has a strong footing in our world right now, one that may give a reader more empathy to those involved with refugee cases and the refugees themselves, waiting for absolution in the form of a yellow card.

Thank you Scribner books for the copy!

[Daria Polatin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Being Egyptian-American, this story found a place particularly close to my heart. And the novel's circular storytelling and complex characters pulled me through the narrative. A recommended read!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes the big issues of the Egyptian revolution of 2011 and packages then into the lives of Hana, Dalia, Charlie, and Aos, and it follows their struggle to reunite Dalia with her husband Omran in America. Pieces of their pasts and futures fly around each other as Bassingthwaighte slowly builds and develops his characters. It's an epic story squeezed into ordinary lives.

Overall I enjoyed the story and the read. The prose is sometimes quirky, and the narrative itself has personality. I gave it four stars instead of five because it did sometimes feel that the writing I just complimented was overdone. The train of thought of a character would feel realistic, but too long for the moment, or a description would make the whole scene feel unsubstantial and fragile instead of grounding me in the story.

[Ilana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The protests in Tahrir Square are unfolding, Mubarak is out of power, at least physically, and refugees from all over the Middle East and Africa are stuck in Cairo waiting for a green light to leave for better worlds. There are international organisations at work to help them, but not all of them are qualified to get the official support. Escaping the chaos from Iraq with her husband, Dalia failed to convince the UN representatives that she deserves to join her husband in the States. But attorney Charlie who handled her case cannot give up, also because he is deeply in a kind of love with her; he tries, against the law, to get her the proper (fake) documentation, and he even get into the plot a fresh employee of the UNCHR.
I personally have a couple of mixed feelings about the book. I enjoyed the writing and the author has a certain power to keep you turning the pages, although the plot development is not always satisfactory. I've found more than once that the different little stories making the book do not necessarily connect smoothly, one of them being Charlie's platonic love. One of the parts that really made sense was about the process of analysing and accepting/rejecting the various files, but I suppose that for that you don't need to read a novel, as a scientific/feature article might be just enough.
I've pushed myself until the end - which was less than satisfactory - trying to read it, but my overall impression is that it could have been (much) better.

Rating: 2.5 stars
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Linda Meltzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Live from Cairo is a recent debut novel written by Ian Bassingthwaighte. His experience as a legal aid worker in Egypt in 2009 placing refugees from Iraq and Sudan informed the gist of his story. Here, the novel takes in place in 2011 following the ouster of Mubarak amidst political revolution. This is a timely novel about the upheaval of people trapped between two places amidst chaos.

There are five main characters: Hana, an Iraqi American, hired by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR in Cairo as a resettlement officer that reads and evaluates refugee petitions; Charlie, an American lawyer for the Refugee Relief Project and Aos, his translator by day but antigovernment protestor when free; Dalia, an Iraqi, whose refugee case provides the impetus for the story and wishes to join her Iraqi husband, Omran, who preceded her to The US. In Iraq, Omran was terrorized and tortured for working for the Americans there.
Dalia is represented by Charlie, who is desperate to see her off to rejoin Omran, in part because he falls in love with her. Hana is assigned Dalia's and any idealistic notion held by Hana that she is there to provide safe passage for those seeking refuge is quickly dispelled under the strict guidelines by UNHCR.
The author's writing is filled with wit and sadness at the hardship of those who wish to find a new home against the chaotic background of antigovernment protestors, the army and the police. In this environment it is difficult to understand who are the "good guys" as moral tables are often turned. The reader feels the unrest in Tahrir Square. There are vibrant descriptions of spraying protestors with fierce power designed to inflict injury or death.
The story is interesting as are most of the characters. However, I wanted to know and like them more. For example, two peripheral characters, Faisal, Omran's employer in the states, and Mustafa, an endearing taxi driver that is Hana's only friend, are morally aware characters. and I found that some parts of the book were clogged and lost its thunder by adding unwanted detail.
Dalia, a hardened character understandably but sometimes got lost in the verbosity of Charlie.
The novel addresses the other side of immigration for those innocents separated from their loved ones facing nonsensical bureaucracy. I enjoyed this book, found it slow reading at times through some forced bumbling at times, adding some inconsistency in telling this story.

[Jessica Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the time period in which President Mubarak has just lost power, this novel portrays the story of several people, Americans and Egyptians, who work in Cairo trying to help refugees. The author cleverly juxtaposes the characters, however, by having them work in organizations with very different methods for aiding those in need. A couple characters, Charlie and Aos, are lawyers who work day and night to help their clients create applications for asylum, and they send their applications to another character, Hana, who works in a government organization, the one that accepts or denies the previously mentioned applications. In this way, the author puts the characters at odds with one another and creates a narrative tension that builds throughout the book, all the while helping the reader to consider the bureaucratic red tape that refugees must encounter every day. All the characters feel that they work really hard and don't help nearly enough, and all are willing to take unorthodox steps in order to help one particular character, Dalia. The novel is the story of all these characters, but it's also a love story and a story about the effects of terrorism.

Overall, the storyline itself was excellent, and I find the idea of the novel to be unique and engaging. The only thing I didn't like about this novel was that I found some of the character's actions hard to believe. For example, when Hana went from refusing to even consider accepting Dalia's application to breaking the law in order to do so, all in a matter of minutes and based on a short visit with Dalia in which she didn't even reveal the terrible trauma she had endured. I didn't buy that. I also didn't buy the way Aos changed his mind so dramatically. That said, I found Omran to be a very engaging and sympathetic character, and I full believed his reaction to his own trauma and its outcome. I really liked this novel, but I wish that we could see a bit more of the behind-the-scenes that would explain a bit more about what some of the characters were thinking.

[brewabook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you @scribner for the free copy for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Cairo, 2011 is in a uproar, a political revolution is causing protests in the streets and constant threat of militant violence.

This is the story of refugees seeking resettlement and the underpaid workers who are there to assist them. They include: Charlie the american attorney who is first in the line to meet with clients and help them write their petition for resettlement, Aos the Egyptian translator and Charlie’s best friend, and Hana an Iraqi-American resettlement officer, new to Cairo and the resettlement process.

Their forces must be combined to cheat the system when Charlie falls for an Iraqi refugee, Dahlia, who is trapped in Cairo after her husband who was helping the DOD in his country is kidnapped and nearly killed. The USA relocated him to Boston but will not relocate his wife without the proper documentation that they are actually married. She has endured torture and rape to save her husbands life and then is humiliated by having to retell her story and then be denied relocation.

The group conspires together to get Dahlia relocated but they must break laws, test their friendships and for what? Everything is for not in the end and the heart breaking journey continues. Much like in real life the plight of the many continues. An eye opening look at the refugee dilemma that is currently happening around the world.
4⭐️’s

[Michelle Arredondo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical , Cultural, Political fiction....exactly what I love. Live From Cairo is such an incredible book right from the start. That cover....just jumps out at you. Vivid...so much to look at. Reminded me of my high school folders that my friends and I use to decorate.

But let's get to the story. A story told from the perspective of many rich and strong characters at a time of upheaval. The Egyptian revolution....after the overthrowing of Mubarak. There is chaos among the people...the environment intense and thick. This book....Ian Bassingthwaighte, captures that feeling and gives it to us in a way where it's hard not to feel it as we move through the book. A city in crisis...bad choices made....turmoil...angst....and then we meet such intensely interesting characters. It's such a beautiful and difficult read. The violence...the culture of the people...the political turmoil...interwoven into such a unique and highly interesting read. I could not get enough.


Thanks as always to the peeps at goodreads for my free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review to which I gladly and voluntarily gave.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Live from Cairo" had everything going for it: historic setting, sympathetic characters, lively action, suspense and intense romance. So I'm not sure why I didn't like it more. Daria, the Iraqi refugee who is desperate to find a way to leave Cairo and join her husband in America, was smartly drawn and sensible. Aos, the Egyptian translator for the Refugee Resettlement Project, was less real to me, torn between his need to join the Arab Spring protests in Tahrir Square and his sense of duty to the refugees stranded in Egypt. Hana, new at the UN Human Rights Commission, seemed one-dimensional, as she struggled to help the flood of refugees. And Charlie, the American lawyer at the Resettlement Project, was just a mess of longing and frustrations.

The novel was well written. Ian Bassingthwaighte turns a nice phrase. He is likely to write more fine novels in the future. So I recommend the book to anyone interested in the refugee crisis and the idealists who are trying to help the helpless. But "Live from Cairo" is no "Exit West."

[Lillian Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the riskiest emotions a novel can provoke is anger. Anger undoes the reader's illusion of safety, passivity, and witness. Anger provokes us to act, or to continue not-acting—it forces choice even, and especially, when we choose to do nothing at all. Ian Bassingthwaite's debut takes this risk again and again, plunging the reader into the illogical and inhumane systems of refugee resettlement, into the heart of the Egyptian revolution, and into a world where no small act goes without enormous consequence. But Bassingthwaite also shows us that anger is the necessary root of so much that is good. Without anger, there is no loyalty. No patriotism, love, or hope. In sculpting a world in which anger has the potential to bring flowers, and characters that deeply deserve such blossoms, Live From Cairo gives us not the answers to our anger, but the power to look for those answers ourselves. Some books live on in memory only; this one, I hope, will live on in the actions it inspires.

[Eric Sutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong debut. I thought the characters were well-drawn and representative of all sides of a complex and ever-evolving issue. With all that is happening concerning refugee migrations, this is an important book to help understand the bureaucracy and red tape that non-profit organizations and refugees alike have to fight through. The author balances the political and the personal quite well. Some chapters were a bit drawn-out, meant to further characterize but done so to an unnecessary extent (to be fair, I read an advanced copy withholding over 800 edits). Ultimately, though, he's entered territory that few American writers seem to understand or tackle, and in our polemical climate - where we are quick to stereotype without any sort of context - he gives voice and varying perspectives (and, ultimately, empathy) to a crisis that remains mysterious and frightening to many, and will define the humanity of our age.

[Kristina Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartbreaking story of Dalia, a refugee from the war in Iraq, and her almost pointless attempt to get a visa from the Egyptian government. Those trying to help—the UN Human Rights Commission and a refugee aid organization—are practically drowning in the number of requests they get, which is almost equal to the number they must deny. Although Dalia’s husband was granted a visa to the United States after being tortured by a group that might have been the Taliban, she finds herself stuck in Cairo during the uprising that led to Mubarak’s ouster. The American aid worker at the UNHRC who ends up with Dalia’s case is powerless to help her or anyone else, and the refugee center lawyer who has fallen in love with Dalia, although that love must remain his secret, is forced to concoct a plan that puts everyone in grave danger. A harrowing look at what happens to people who are guilty simply of being born in the wrong place at the wrong time.