The Lady of Zamalek: A Novel

by Ashraf El-Ashmawi, Peter Daniel (Translator)

Spanning twentieth-century Egyptian history and opening with the true story of a prominent Cairo businessman’s murder, this rags-to-riches story wondrously combines real-life events with fiction, told by a “magical storyteller”

It was in the spring of 1927 that Cairo's attention was captured by the shocking murder of prominent businessman Solomon Cicurel in his Nile-side villa in the upscale Zamalek district. It was a burglary that went wrong, and four culprits were soon arrested. Their trial was concluded swiftly, their punishments were decisive, and society breathed a sigh of relief.

In Ashraf El-Ashmawi's telling, there was a fifth accomplice, Abbas, who fled to his home in the countryside to lay low until the murder trial blew over. However, he did not escape empty-handed and kept stolen documents from Cicurel's villa, ones that he imagined would lead him to a hidden safe. Abbas hatched a plan to return to the capital, find the safe, and make his fortune. The first step was to place his sister Zeinab with Cicurel's widow, Paula.

Abbas’s rags-to-riches story unfolds as a tale of modern Egypt, taking in the Second World War, the 1952 revolution and rise of Nasser, the 1967 war, and the Sadat and Mubarak eras. Spanning the 1920s to the 1990s, El-Ashmawi deftly weaves together history with fiction in this intriguing English-language debut.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction

397 pages, Paperback

Published May 11, 2021

Reviews

[Nevan Hamid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting plot expanding over 6 decades of Egyptian history and the rise of certain people who took advantage of the political situation to their benefit. The protagonist of the novel, Abbas, who killed, robbed and committed everything imaginable to satisfy his greed and ambition aided by similar friends. His sister, joined him on the path to rise at the expense of other people. In the midst of all of that young toddler was adopted and given a different identity, being manipulated by both brother and sister team to achieve their dream plan. A society that everyone fears the other and holds a hidden secret about the other for blackmail. At the end, Abbas get an awful end very similar to what he did to others, his fortune is all gone and no one has a good word about either brother or sister.
Not a single one portrayed in the novel has an ounce of goodness or grace! “We may not able to choose the faith but we can choose the humanity” beautiful statement.
There is confusing issue about the son of Abbas born, raised and killed in a car accident in London but at the end there is an indication that he is still alive?????

[Martina Ricciardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the plot and the way the author develops the various characters' points of view, with a sort of crescendo in the last part of the book BUT please do something with the editing: it's full of typos, grammar and verbal mistakes, missing words etc... Never found so many mistakes in a book.

[Mariam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, while a bit confusing in parts (think same names for who you think is the same character appearing in different generations), it became wholly absorbing after the first few chapters. It deftly and beautifully explores the motivations and beliefs that guide people to commit violent or immoral acts, and consequently how a nation forms and re-forms itself. The story centers around Abbas, and country boy who becomes a wealthy Cairene through any means, his sister who he brings along, and Nadia, who is struggling to carve her own path for her life. This is an account of Egypt through much of the 20th century, but with a rather hopeless ending.

[Clare · Rating 1 out of 5]

An ugly, convoluted, clumsily written story that goes on and on concerning mostly awful characters who are neither likeable nor particularly interesting. Examples of inhumanity abound. The novel has been adversized as reflecting the history of modern Egypt. Regardless of the rampant corruption that clearly exists in Egypt, my experience over roughly eight years of living in this country has shown me countless examples of kindness and humanity, which are in no way evident in this characterization. Initially I hoped the story would improve but eventually I couldn’t wait for it to end.

[كريستيان · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very strong beginning and a truly interesting story how Egypt has changed in the 20th century from the monarchy to Nasser and Sadat. Also an intriguing historical view on Cairo's rich Nile Island Zamalek. Full of intrigues, crimes and turning points... and yet in the second part somehow tedious to read.

[Sarrah Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enthralling whodunnit which eventually made me root against most of the characters. I recall the excessive stress at the end, when the characters have all achieved the lavish success they once set out for, yet still schemed against and clawed at one another to prevent one getting the other hand.

[Abdul Aziz Muhammad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is long and with a million details. I liked it though, it felt like a drama that stretches for 3 generations. The timeline was similar to 'the book of fate' and the storytelling was very good but not the story. is it worth a read? Definitely.