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The Sand Fish: An Atmospheric Middle Eastern Story of Rebellion in 1950s Dubai Culture
A novel of Dubai, The Sand Fish by Maha Gargash offers readers a fascinating glimpse into another corner of the world. Set in the 1950s in what is now the United Arab Emirates, The Sand Fish tells the poignant and powerful story of a rebellious young woman trapped in a repressive society—as richly atmospheric a look at Middle Eastern life and culture as The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and Alaa Al Aswany’s The Yacoubian Building.
361 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
41 people are currently reading
1222 people want to read
About the author
Maha Gargash
4 books56 followersMaha Gargash was born in Dubai. She has a Bachelors degree in Radio/Television from the George Washington University in Washington D.C. and a Masters from Goldsmiths’ College in London. In 1985, she joined Dubai Television to pursue her interest in documentaries. It was a field that provided extensive travel opportunities and opened many doors. Through her programmes, which focus mainly on traditional Arab societies, she became involved in research and scriptwriting, which evolved into her first novel, The Sand Fish (Oct/Nov 2009).
((( Maha Gargash: In Conversation )))
Maha Gargash is a woman of many talents. As well as researching, scripting, directing and fronting Arabesque, the cultural series on Dubai TV, she rides horses, plays the piano, has a black belt in karate and has just had her first novel, The Sand Fish, published by HarperCollins, a leading American publisher.
Born in Dubai, she was educated in the UK and America but always knew that she would return to her homeland. She began her career at Dubai Television, working mainly on documentaries about traditional Arab societies and has now set up her own TV company.
The Sand Fish: A Novel From Dubai tells the story of a rebellious girl’s passage into womanhood in a country moving from a traditional way of life in 1950s Dubai to the modern society of today. Will Noora finally choose the freedom that love offers or the security of her traditional married life? Written in spare, poetic language that captures both the landscape of the Emirates and the intimacy of domestic life, the book is both a fascinating snapshot of a very different Dubai fifty years ago and an engrossing read. It has already received excellent review coverage and publication in English by a publisher with worldwide reach should ensure the widest possible readership for this Emirati author.
Maha will be talking about how she has broken away from the traditional role of women in the UAE to fulfil her ambitions – first in television and now as a writer – and reading from The Sand Fish.
http://tickets.emirateslitfest.com/p-...
Maha Gargash on her novel The Sand Fish
http://www.thenational.ae/arts-lifest...
- EDUCATION
Goldsmiths, University of London
London, United Kingdom
GW Alumni
Washington, District of Columbia
((( Maha Gargash: In Conversation )))
Maha Gargash is a woman of many talents. As well as researching, scripting, directing and fronting Arabesque, the cultural series on Dubai TV, she rides horses, plays the piano, has a black belt in karate and has just had her first novel, The Sand Fish, published by HarperCollins, a leading American publisher.
Born in Dubai, she was educated in the UK and America but always knew that she would return to her homeland. She began her career at Dubai Television, working mainly on documentaries about traditional Arab societies and has now set up her own TV company.
The Sand Fish: A Novel From Dubai tells the story of a rebellious girl’s passage into womanhood in a country moving from a traditional way of life in 1950s Dubai to the modern society of today. Will Noora finally choose the freedom that love offers or the security of her traditional married life? Written in spare, poetic language that captures both the landscape of the Emirates and the intimacy of domestic life, the book is both a fascinating snapshot of a very different Dubai fifty years ago and an engrossing read. It has already received excellent review coverage and publication in English by a publisher with worldwide reach should ensure the widest possible readership for this Emirati author.
Maha will be talking about how she has broken away from the traditional role of women in the UAE to fulfil her ambitions – first in television and now as a writer – and reading from The Sand Fish.
http://tickets.emirateslitfest.com/p-...
Maha Gargash on her novel The Sand Fish
http://www.thenational.ae/arts-lifest...
- EDUCATION
Goldsmiths, University of London
London, United Kingdom
GW Alumni
Washington, District of Columbia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
January 31, 2010
I will call this Arab/Islam light fiction. A story written by a woman who grew up in Dubai who wants to paint a picture of what being a woman in the Arabian penisula is like. But really the book is cheesy. A light, airplane, beach read kind of book that could have been focused on the life of women growing up in the South, or Seattle or on a farm but instead happens to be about an Arab culture. The author did not accomplish what the author of "A Thousand Splendid Suns" did in giving us strong characters and a feeling that we had really gotten an accurate portrayal of a conservative Islamic society. Instead we just felt like we were reading a book written by a woman who happened to have been born in Dubai but really was completely westernized and couldn't figure out how to completely make us feel like we were reading about an Arab culture instead of just some small town in Oklahoma where a small town girl is trying to escape. Really kind of a boring book even though the topic had potential. I think ultimately the plot was unbelievable. I mean seriously there is no way a woman in this society is going to have sex with a lover without punishment because the first wife needs the third wife to get pregnant to provide a son/daughter to the husband who has never been able to conceive children but somehow thinks it is the wives faults. The way it is written is just Cheesy.
July 3, 2019
This book was my first attempt with an Emarati author especially that she was attending the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature (2010) and I was curious.
So this is a story about a woman that is oppressed (typical), that gets married off by a man (another typical), then she gets into a relationship with another man (surprise surprise), and then… she is torn between decisions… should she choose security or possible freedom! Oh no let me not spoil the fun for you!!!!
Boring book, with absolutely no exceptional story to what I would say typical books about Arab women that says nothing about Arab women! I have no idea how it was compared to Khaled Hosseini and Alaa Al Aswany since they are faaaaaar from boring and are excellent story tellers.
Disappointing read.
So this is a story about a woman that is oppressed (typical), that gets married off by a man (another typical), then she gets into a relationship with another man (surprise surprise), and then… she is torn between decisions… should she choose security or possible freedom! Oh no let me not spoil the fun for you!!!!
Boring book, with absolutely no exceptional story to what I would say typical books about Arab women that says nothing about Arab women! I have no idea how it was compared to Khaled Hosseini and Alaa Al Aswany since they are faaaaaar from boring and are excellent story tellers.
Disappointing read.
April 18, 2017
This excellent debut novel is set is in the UAE, the United Arab Emirates in the 1950s.
When thinking of the Emirates one usually thinks of oil fields and rich cosmopolitan cities, but before oil was discovered life there was very different. The author Maha Gargash was a documentary filmmaker, directing films about the older, disappearing cultures of the Arabian Gulf and this enriches her book.
The story centres around 17 year old Noora, a Bedouin living in the mountains. Her mother has recently died and her father gone mad. Her younger brother marries her off to a wealthy pearl merchant she has never met. Living a long sea voyage away from her ancestral home, Noura finds herself the third wife of a man much older than her father. When she learns that none of the other wives have given him children, it becomes clear what Noura's purpose is.
Although her life has always had restrictions, Noura was used to being able to freely roam the mountains all day, either alone or with her brother. Now, in her new home in a village by the sea she now is restricted. Being a straightforward forward person, Noura must now learn how to navigate through the intrigues living with the other wives.
Western readers may be expecting Noura to react to this situation the way a heroine would in a Western novel and not be satisfied with the development in this book.
To quote the author Maha Gargash,
"Although beautiful, intelligent and fiery Noora is a different kind of heroine. She has little choice and no opportunity, so it would have been unrealistic to give her great ambitions. In her poverty-stricken situation, it is enough that she is able to cope-not a heroic action by Western standards,but by coping she was able to gain the upper hand, winning small battles in the midst of the shifting relationships of the household she becomes part of."
Personally I loved Noora! I found her to be intelligent,resilient and strong!
I enjoyed this book immensely.
When thinking of the Emirates one usually thinks of oil fields and rich cosmopolitan cities, but before oil was discovered life there was very different. The author Maha Gargash was a documentary filmmaker, directing films about the older, disappearing cultures of the Arabian Gulf and this enriches her book.
The story centres around 17 year old Noora, a Bedouin living in the mountains. Her mother has recently died and her father gone mad. Her younger brother marries her off to a wealthy pearl merchant she has never met. Living a long sea voyage away from her ancestral home, Noura finds herself the third wife of a man much older than her father. When she learns that none of the other wives have given him children, it becomes clear what Noura's purpose is.
Although her life has always had restrictions, Noura was used to being able to freely roam the mountains all day, either alone or with her brother. Now, in her new home in a village by the sea she now is restricted. Being a straightforward forward person, Noura must now learn how to navigate through the intrigues living with the other wives.
Western readers may be expecting Noura to react to this situation the way a heroine would in a Western novel and not be satisfied with the development in this book.
To quote the author Maha Gargash,
"Although beautiful, intelligent and fiery Noora is a different kind of heroine. She has little choice and no opportunity, so it would have been unrealistic to give her great ambitions. In her poverty-stricken situation, it is enough that she is able to cope-not a heroic action by Western standards,but by coping she was able to gain the upper hand, winning small battles in the midst of the shifting relationships of the household she becomes part of."
Personally I loved Noora! I found her to be intelligent,resilient and strong!
I enjoyed this book immensely.
September 28, 2012
I decided to read this book because I was looking for a book by an Emariti author and since my choices were limited, I decided to get it anyway. The book started very well, however it was a bit disappointing towards the middle to the end. Not only was it predictable but also made me question whether it described the 50s society well or the UAE in general. I think the book had plenty of exaggeration and a pinch of reality in it. It gave me an impression of a western tale but in an Arab disguise. I have to admit though that the unhappy ending was no surprise at all. It was realistic but very predictable and it did not make me feel like an ending at all!
The things I liked:
I liked Noora’s character in the beginning. She was adventurous, spontaneous and strong but towards the end her character changed 180 degree! She became this selfish person who only cared about herself and unlike her strong personality that she used to have, she became weak and accepted her fate.
The book had almost no or little positive role of men in that society. Characters like Rashid, Jassem, Noora’s father (who ended up disappearing) and her brother who arranged her marriage without her knowing made me question whether all men back then (except Hamad) were always a source of problem.
I was expecting a lot from the book and I shouldn’t have. I read it out of curiosity especially that it was written by an Emirati otherwise I would have not read it.
The things I liked:
I liked Noora’s character in the beginning. She was adventurous, spontaneous and strong but towards the end her character changed 180 degree! She became this selfish person who only cared about herself and unlike her strong personality that she used to have, she became weak and accepted her fate.
The book had almost no or little positive role of men in that society. Characters like Rashid, Jassem, Noora’s father (who ended up disappearing) and her brother who arranged her marriage without her knowing made me question whether all men back then (except Hamad) were always a source of problem.
I was expecting a lot from the book and I shouldn’t have. I read it out of curiosity especially that it was written by an Emirati otherwise I would have not read it.
November 17, 2022
Maha Gargash is from the UAE. She wished to write a novel about a female who is wild and untamed and then marries and must learn to live in an environment that is constrained and full of rules.
Add to that a background of pearl diving, which was the primary source of income to Emerati before oil became its main product.
The book begins with scenes in the mountains and a sand fish who attempts to 'swim' through the sand. But the sand is a rock and he knocks his head until he dies. Perhaps this lizard is a metaphor for the wild and untamed girl who is knocking her head against tradition.
Noora is that wild girl. Her mother has died and her father has lost his mind. Her older brother feels she should marry and negotiates a deal for her to marry Jassem, a rich pearl merchant who is married to two other women. Neither has given him a child. Noora is the hope.
I enjoyed the first part of the book but as I began to see where the book was going, I became a little bored and swam through the sand to the inevitable end.
3 stars
Add to that a background of pearl diving, which was the primary source of income to Emerati before oil became its main product.
The book begins with scenes in the mountains and a sand fish who attempts to 'swim' through the sand. But the sand is a rock and he knocks his head until he dies. Perhaps this lizard is a metaphor for the wild and untamed girl who is knocking her head against tradition.
Noora is that wild girl. Her mother has died and her father has lost his mind. Her older brother feels she should marry and negotiates a deal for her to marry Jassem, a rich pearl merchant who is married to two other women. Neither has given him a child. Noora is the hope.
I enjoyed the first part of the book but as I began to see where the book was going, I became a little bored and swam through the sand to the inevitable end.
3 stars
February 26, 2017
رغم أن الرواية كتبتها ابنة الإمارات و عن مجتمع الإمارات في فترة الخمسينيات من القرن التاسع عشر، إلا أنها كُتبت باللغة الانجليزية وتم ترجمتها حديثا للغة العربية.
سمكة الرمل، هذه السمكة التي لا تظهر إلا في الشتاء وتختفي في الصيف، هذه السمكة المستعدة لقتل نفسها عبر خبط رأسها بالحجارة بشكل متكرر حتى الموت في حالة لم تستطع الهرب من عدوها.
لم تكن هذه السمكة موجودة عبثا في ثنايا الرواية و خيالات البطلة حتى آخر لحظة، فقد كانت هذه الفتاة منذ صغرها متمردة، عنيدة ترفض القيود والقوانين، فهي كسمكة الرمل في إصرارها و عنادها.
غير أن الزمن الذي لم يجعل لها مفرا من الزواج -كُرهاً- من تاجر ثري وهي المحدقة بالفقر جعلها تنتقل من حياة الجبال التي نشأت فيها إلى حياة أهل السواحل حيث كان يتاجر زوجها باللؤلؤ.
الرواية التي بدأت أحداثها مع أخيها صقر، مرورا بحبها الأول راشد و زواجها بالإكراه من شخص له زوجتين أخريين، ثم وقوعها في حب آخر و حملها سفاحا منه، و قرارها أخيرا أن تحتفظ بالطفل موهمةً زوجها أن الطفل له.
تتجلى لنا بشدة شخصية لطيفة الزوجة الأولى والتي طغت شخصيتها على بقية الشخصيات في فترة ما بعد زواج نورة وحتى غطت على شخصية الزوج وكأنها هي المتحكم في الأحداث.
و برأيي ذلك لم يتناسب مع ما حاولت الكاتبة إيصاله لنا في البداية من قوة بأس الزوج و قوة شخصيته.
نورة التي تخلت عن حبها و تمردها من أجل توفير حياة كريمة لطفلها القادم، تمثل لنا ما في مرحلة النضوج لدى الفتاة قبل و بعد الزواج، وكيف أن الأمومة تفرض نفسها فرضا على المرأة و تصب جل اهتمامها بوليدها بعد أن كانت تبحث عن نفسها.
شخصية الزوجة الثانية الغيورة لم تكن ذات أهمية تذكر فقد انتهى دورها برحيلها.
من الملاحظ أيضا خلال الرواية أن كل شخصية ما ان ينتهي الحدث معها حتى تختفي ولا تعاود الظهور، منها مثلا صقر رغم أنه كان الأكثر حضورا قبل زواج نورة، و كذلك والدها الذي اختفى في ظروف غامضة و بقية الشخصيات على التوالي اختفت ولم تعد.
نهاية الرواية كانت حسية و ليست حقيقية فهي لم تكن ذات حدث حقيقي، كانت مجرد حدث توقفت الرواية بعده فجأة و لو أنها توقفت قبله ما كان ليغير شيء في الواقع سوى شعور نورة بلذة الانتصار لكونها أول من أمسك وليدها بعد الولادة وكأنها تضمن سيطرتها عليه وأنه سيكون طوع أمرها وليس طوعا لشخص آخر حسب اعتقادها فقط، وكأنّ الكاتبة بذلك تمهّد لجزء آخر من الرواية ينتهي فيه دور لطيفة و يبدأ فيه دور الابن.
الرواية جيدة بشكل عام وأحداثها كثيرة و شيقة و تستحق القراءة
سمكة الرمل، هذه السمكة التي لا تظهر إلا في الشتاء وتختفي في الصيف، هذه السمكة المستعدة لقتل نفسها عبر خبط رأسها بالحجارة بشكل متكرر حتى الموت في حالة لم تستطع الهرب من عدوها.
لم تكن هذه السمكة موجودة عبثا في ثنايا الرواية و خيالات البطلة حتى آخر لحظة، فقد كانت هذه الفتاة منذ صغرها متمردة، عنيدة ترفض القيود والقوانين، فهي كسمكة الرمل في إصرارها و عنادها.
غير أن الزمن الذي لم يجعل لها مفرا من الزواج -كُرهاً- من تاجر ثري وهي المحدقة بالفقر جعلها تنتقل من حياة الجبال التي نشأت فيها إلى حياة أهل السواحل حيث كان يتاجر زوجها باللؤلؤ.
الرواية التي بدأت أحداثها مع أخيها صقر، مرورا بحبها الأول راشد و زواجها بالإكراه من شخص له زوجتين أخريين، ثم وقوعها في حب آخر و حملها سفاحا منه، و قرارها أخيرا أن تحتفظ بالطفل موهمةً زوجها أن الطفل له.
تتجلى لنا بشدة شخصية لطيفة الزوجة الأولى والتي طغت شخصيتها على بقية الشخصيات في فترة ما بعد زواج نورة وحتى غطت على شخصية الزوج وكأنها هي المتحكم في الأحداث.
و برأيي ذلك لم يتناسب مع ما حاولت الكاتبة إيصاله لنا في البداية من قوة بأس الزوج و قوة شخصيته.
نورة التي تخلت عن حبها و تمردها من أجل توفير حياة كريمة لطفلها القادم، تمثل لنا ما في مرحلة النضوج لدى الفتاة قبل و بعد الزواج، وكيف أن الأمومة تفرض نفسها فرضا على المرأة و تصب جل اهتمامها بوليدها بعد أن كانت تبحث عن نفسها.
شخصية الزوجة الثانية الغيورة لم تكن ذات أهمية تذكر فقد انتهى دورها برحيلها.
من الملاحظ أيضا خلال الرواية أن كل شخصية ما ان ينتهي الحدث معها حتى تختفي ولا تعاود الظهور، منها مثلا صقر رغم أنه كان الأكثر حضورا قبل زواج نورة، و كذلك والدها الذي اختفى في ظروف غامضة و بقية الشخصيات على التوالي اختفت ولم تعد.
نهاية الرواية كانت حسية و ليست حقيقية فهي لم تكن ذات حدث حقيقي، كانت مجرد حدث توقفت الرواية بعده فجأة و لو أنها توقفت قبله ما كان ليغير شيء في الواقع سوى شعور نورة بلذة الانتصار لكونها أول من أمسك وليدها بعد الولادة وكأنها تضمن سيطرتها عليه وأنه سيكون طوع أمرها وليس طوعا لشخص آخر حسب اعتقادها فقط، وكأنّ الكاتبة بذلك تمهّد لجزء آخر من الرواية ينتهي فيه دور لطيفة و يبدأ فيه دور الابن.
الرواية جيدة بشكل عام وأحداثها كثيرة و شيقة و تستحق القراءة
September 13, 2011
Title: a review from an Emirati Woman’s perspective
The Sand Fish was a book that is very special to me and which I was looking so forward to reading. The reason behind that was that it is a novel whose settings take place in Dubai in the 1950s that had an Emirati woman as its main lead. Me as a reader, found myself already relating to the book even before reading it because I was a local while I am an Emirati woman living in Dubai in 2010.
The author is also an Emirati Woman who managed to get this book published by HarperColins which caused some of my insecurities as a writer to decrease slightly. I always tended to worry about my book not seeing the publishing world because of the geographical differences between myself and my target audience, feeling that publishers might not take me very seriously but after seeing that Maha was able to get a deal out of one of the biggest publishing houses I couldn’t help but be inspired by her.
Th best world that I could describe this novel would be Ethentic; everything about it was authentic; the settings, the situautions, the culture and even the charecters. All of the charecters in this book were authentic, Sager, Latifa, Jassim even Rashid was very Authentic in how they acted and thought; which was something that I enjoyed.
The only character which I didn’t think was authentic was the main character herself, Noora. I am actually on the fence in terms of her character. As an Emirati woman I know that traditions and culture require that we don’t have any inimate meetings or actions with guys that we are not directly related to; though these days not a lot of girls think that but I was always told and thougth that woman back in the 1950s followed that rule more strictly than today seeing as how they have been brought up like that. I personally still respect that tradition and abid by it so I was more than surprised when I saw Noora not resisting Rashid at all during their meetings; that caused me to raise an eyebrow and long for Noor to be a bit stronger in that manner. Though at the same time she is a girl with Hormones which makes the action realistic, but not enough to justify it.
After she gets married I was happy that she got a good enough husband, sure he was old but at least he wasn’t the abusive sterotype that most husbands tend to be in arranged marriages. Yet I can understand that because he was old and she did not have any feeling for him; she gave into Hamad as well. One thing that bothers me about it is that she would have been more causious with him from her experience with Rashid.
The ending was what surprised me the most, but it did make the ending seem more real to me; how she didn’t end up with Hamad; which was something that I really liked about her. She was not one of those selfish heroine who looks at only her own happiness and run off with Hamad, have her name, her brother’s name and her family discrased by the action but choose to remain with her husband. It wasn’t her ideal life but she wasn’t misrable either.
This novel was basically a battle for me in terms of how comlient women were to traditions; which had a lot of modern time influence comparing to what I would have normally thought to be in the 1950s
Rating: 3.8/5
The Sand Fish was a book that is very special to me and which I was looking so forward to reading. The reason behind that was that it is a novel whose settings take place in Dubai in the 1950s that had an Emirati woman as its main lead. Me as a reader, found myself already relating to the book even before reading it because I was a local while I am an Emirati woman living in Dubai in 2010.
The author is also an Emirati Woman who managed to get this book published by HarperColins which caused some of my insecurities as a writer to decrease slightly. I always tended to worry about my book not seeing the publishing world because of the geographical differences between myself and my target audience, feeling that publishers might not take me very seriously but after seeing that Maha was able to get a deal out of one of the biggest publishing houses I couldn’t help but be inspired by her.
Th best world that I could describe this novel would be Ethentic; everything about it was authentic; the settings, the situautions, the culture and even the charecters. All of the charecters in this book were authentic, Sager, Latifa, Jassim even Rashid was very Authentic in how they acted and thought; which was something that I enjoyed.
The only character which I didn’t think was authentic was the main character herself, Noora. I am actually on the fence in terms of her character. As an Emirati woman I know that traditions and culture require that we don’t have any inimate meetings or actions with guys that we are not directly related to; though these days not a lot of girls think that but I was always told and thougth that woman back in the 1950s followed that rule more strictly than today seeing as how they have been brought up like that. I personally still respect that tradition and abid by it so I was more than surprised when I saw Noora not resisting Rashid at all during their meetings; that caused me to raise an eyebrow and long for Noor to be a bit stronger in that manner. Though at the same time she is a girl with Hormones which makes the action realistic, but not enough to justify it.
After she gets married I was happy that she got a good enough husband, sure he was old but at least he wasn’t the abusive sterotype that most husbands tend to be in arranged marriages. Yet I can understand that because he was old and she did not have any feeling for him; she gave into Hamad as well. One thing that bothers me about it is that she would have been more causious with him from her experience with Rashid.
The ending was what surprised me the most, but it did make the ending seem more real to me; how she didn’t end up with Hamad; which was something that I really liked about her. She was not one of those selfish heroine who looks at only her own happiness and run off with Hamad, have her name, her brother’s name and her family discrased by the action but choose to remain with her husband. It wasn’t her ideal life but she wasn’t misrable either.
This novel was basically a battle for me in terms of how comlient women were to traditions; which had a lot of modern time influence comparing to what I would have normally thought to be in the 1950s
Rating: 3.8/5
November 26, 2009
what's unique about this book is that its written by an Emirati - the UAE not internationally renowned for its writers. I felt a bit adventurous heading into territory not really explored by most mainstream (yawn) Western readers. The story line was somewhat interesting and a (very) small twist of fate near the end, but probably was a novel turn of 'what could have been' in a truly tragic series of events. While the character was born into poverty and, practically, parentless, I'd have to wonder about this (bizarre) rags to riches possibility. I find it hard to believe that an impoverished, uneducated girl in a deeply conservative, superstitious and hostile society such as the UAE in the 1950s would have the survival techniques to outwit her husband and his two other wives. All that said, the tragic futility of being born a girl was evident from the onset. There was a nice scene, however, of viewing Westerners (particularly being intimate with eachother) while Noora was lying down in the sand. The final scene, with her baby (son) was a flicker of optimism - while Noora wasn't going to change the world, she was making promises to her new baby that things would be different for him. I think the final pages were an excuse for Noora - all the men that she had known throughout her life (father, Sager, Rashid, Hamad, Jassem)had failed her and now she would have a son who would make everything alright again.
March 17, 2017
استمتعت كثيرا بقراءة هذه الرواية الجميلة والسلسة في طرحها..قصة فتاة جبلية يتيمة الأم ذات شخصية قوية ومُغامَره..قصة خيباتها وقراراتها الخاطئة..قصة قصة فتاة تصارع من أجل حياة سعيدة وسط الزوبعة التي وُضِعَتْ فيها..حزنت عند انتهاء الرواية فقد تمنيت لو أن الكاتبة أكملت فصلين إضافيين للأحداث
February 26, 2017
Maha Gargash is a really good story teller, unfortunately she was not telling a good story!
What we have here is an Emarati setting with Emarati characters, but with a plot that could have been anywhere in the world, but not the emirates!
Our main character, Noora, is a seventeen year old mountain girl who lives in an isolated place with her brothers, after her father disappears, her older brother arranges a marriage to her via some healer, she leaves home to her aunts house in anger, has a brief romance, returns home only to be wed to a much older man, he already has two wives, but no children, she leaves across the water to his home town and realizes she is required to give him a child!
It's 1950, and the historical details are quite accurate, daily life is described beautifully, I found no fault in them, but I did have a bit of a doubt about the healer woman, she was described like a witch in a fantasy book, but then what do I know my ancestors were seafarers not mountain people??
Noora's character grow from an unruly child to a clever women, only she was lively and became sly, the character matured but not to the best. She was totally clueless and lost, I think she did things stupidly, but then turned into a calculating person who planned and plotted.
Other character didn't have enough of a clarity or a development, Jassim's first wife Lateefa acts like a mother figure to Noora, but in reality she plans the cruelest deceits, but we're never told her reasons!! Are we supposed to be totally shocked and hate her?? She actually didn't do it, she just made it easy, Noora was just stupid enough to do it and I have no respect to anything she did in the book, to me she is the bad guy.
Alot of things are left unexplained, which was a bit distracting.
And the major plot twist is just totally unacceptable, not to this society religion and strict teaching, I'm not ignorant of the fact that things happen, but not like this, and well not at that time, it was just unbelievable and totally ruined the book for me.
I wish Gargash would write another book full of the beautiful descriptions of our history, but stay away from controversial topics, perhaps more on the pearl divers and their hardship and the difficult waiting of their families.
The ending, although its supposed to be an open end, it's not clever, it was dissapointing.
This is not how I want our culture and society to be presented
What we have here is an Emarati setting with Emarati characters, but with a plot that could have been anywhere in the world, but not the emirates!
Our main character, Noora, is a seventeen year old mountain girl who lives in an isolated place with her brothers, after her father disappears, her older brother arranges a marriage to her via some healer, she leaves home to her aunts house in anger, has a brief romance, returns home only to be wed to a much older man, he already has two wives, but no children, she leaves across the water to his home town and realizes she is required to give him a child!
It's 1950, and the historical details are quite accurate, daily life is described beautifully, I found no fault in them, but I did have a bit of a doubt about the healer woman, she was described like a witch in a fantasy book, but then what do I know my ancestors were seafarers not mountain people??
Noora's character grow from an unruly child to a clever women, only she was lively and became sly, the character matured but not to the best. She was totally clueless and lost, I think she did things stupidly, but then turned into a calculating person who planned and plotted.
Other character didn't have enough of a clarity or a development, Jassim's first wife Lateefa acts like a mother figure to Noora, but in reality she plans the cruelest deceits, but we're never told her reasons!! Are we supposed to be totally shocked and hate her?? She actually didn't do it, she just made it easy, Noora was just stupid enough to do it and I have no respect to anything she did in the book, to me she is the bad guy.
Alot of things are left unexplained, which was a bit distracting.
And the major plot twist is just totally unacceptable, not to this society religion and strict teaching, I'm not ignorant of the fact that things happen, but not like this, and well not at that time, it was just unbelievable and totally ruined the book for me.
I wish Gargash would write another book full of the beautiful descriptions of our history, but stay away from controversial topics, perhaps more on the pearl divers and their hardship and the difficult waiting of their families.
The ending, although its supposed to be an open end, it's not clever, it was dissapointing.
This is not how I want our culture and society to be presented
April 8, 2017
تقول مها قرقاش في حديثها عن مشوار روايتها سمكة الرمل "لا يكفي أن تكون قادرًا على تصوّر حياتهم، بل يجب أن أكون قادرة على رؤية ذلك العالم وشمه وتذوقه ولمسه". وقد كانت قادرة ليس فقط على شم وتذوق ولمس عالم خمسينيات القرن الماضي في بلدها الإمارات، وإنما مررت عالمًا محسوسًا ومرئيًا لقرّائها باحترافية شخص امتهن عالم التلفزيون والتوثيق المرئي.
نورة بطلة الرواية والتي من خلالها تستعرض قرقاش البيئتين الجبلية والبحريةواختلاف وتمايز عادات ولهجات ومفاهيم الناس فيهما، تنتقل من بيئتها المنفتحة على الأفق والرعونة واللاقيد إلى عالم الزواج من الأثرياء وتعدد الزيجات وانتظار الوريث وخلافات الزوجات والقيل والقال. لم تكن بطلةً تحمل أيٍّ من صفات الكمال أو المثالية، كانت فتاة نشأت بلا أم، وحيدة في محيط خالٍ من الإناث، لديها من الجموح والرعونة وعدم الاتزان ما يكفي ليفسد كل الأمور. تمشي معها قرقاش دقة بدقة عبر أخاديد الرواية والزلات والخوف والإحباط وتحول قلمها وكلماتها لكاميرا تعين القارئ على تمثُّل الصراعات الداخلية حتى تصل إلى ذروة هذه الانفعالات عندما تقرر نورة أن تنضج وتتخذ ما فيه مصلحة جنينها ومصلحتها وتتعلم الدرس الذي سيكون مفصليًا في حياتها. كانت تلك الفصول قمّةالإبداع في إخراج الرواية. وكما قالت الكاتبة، لم يكن مناسبًا أبدًا أن ترسم لنورة أفقًا أرحب من قدراتها وواقعها الذي هي فيه أنثى بلا عائلة ولا جاه ولا مال تلجأ إليه في اتخاذ أي قرار حالم.
رواية مهمة في أبعادها التأريخية لعالم صيد اللؤلؤ والعادات والبيئات المجتمعية المختلفة، والأهم هو كينونة النساء في مجتمع قبل النفط والبناء والعمار، النساء اللواتي كن يأتين في مرتبة ثانية، بلا علم كافٍ ولا طموح ولا حريات وإنما قيود مجتمعية مكثفة ومهام لا تتعدى عتبات المنازل.
جهدٌ كتابي وبحثي يقدّر للكاتبة، فهو يجعل رحلة الخمسمائة صفحة هينة وممتعة على قارئ سمكة الرمل.
نورة بطلة الرواية والتي من خلالها تستعرض قرقاش البيئتين الجبلية والبحريةواختلاف وتمايز عادات ولهجات ومفاهيم الناس فيهما، تنتقل من بيئتها المنفتحة على الأفق والرعونة واللاقيد إلى عالم الزواج من الأثرياء وتعدد الزيجات وانتظار الوريث وخلافات الزوجات والقيل والقال. لم تكن بطلةً تحمل أيٍّ من صفات الكمال أو المثالية، كانت فتاة نشأت بلا أم، وحيدة في محيط خالٍ من الإناث، لديها من الجموح والرعونة وعدم الاتزان ما يكفي ليفسد كل الأمور. تمشي معها قرقاش دقة بدقة عبر أخاديد الرواية والزلات والخوف والإحباط وتحول قلمها وكلماتها لكاميرا تعين القارئ على تمثُّل الصراعات الداخلية حتى تصل إلى ذروة هذه الانفعالات عندما تقرر نورة أن تنضج وتتخذ ما فيه مصلحة جنينها ومصلحتها وتتعلم الدرس الذي سيكون مفصليًا في حياتها. كانت تلك الفصول قمّةالإبداع في إخراج الرواية. وكما قالت الكاتبة، لم يكن مناسبًا أبدًا أن ترسم لنورة أفقًا أرحب من قدراتها وواقعها الذي هي فيه أنثى بلا عائلة ولا جاه ولا مال تلجأ إليه في اتخاذ أي قرار حالم.
رواية مهمة في أبعادها التأريخية لعالم صيد اللؤلؤ والعادات والبيئات المجتمعية المختلفة، والأهم هو كينونة النساء في مجتمع قبل النفط والبناء والعمار، النساء اللواتي كن يأتين في مرتبة ثانية، بلا علم كافٍ ولا طموح ولا حريات وإنما قيود مجتمعية مكثفة ومهام لا تتعدى عتبات المنازل.
جهدٌ كتابي وبحثي يقدّر للكاتبة، فهو يجعل رحلة الخمسمائة صفحة هينة وممتعة على قارئ سمكة الرمل.
January 25, 2018
For many people this book might be considered a bore, as the story is very slow in progression and the story itself feels mostly bland.
The writer is very well versed with setting a scene. Her descriptive ability allows the reader to vividly see the characters' surroundings. So kudos to her on that.
Her writing was beautiful and not complex, which adds to its beauty.
The story started off engaging and slowly began to decline, ending on being unbelievable. The conclusion felt flat and left more to desired.
On a more conservative front, their was a certain part of the story that I understand some people's anger. However, i'm not one to judge. For all I know that might be the norm in the country of Ghargash's ancestors.
A solid 3 rating, not a book that I would recommend to a majority of people.
The writer is very well versed with setting a scene. Her descriptive ability allows the reader to vividly see the characters' surroundings. So kudos to her on that.
Her writing was beautiful and not complex, which adds to its beauty.
The story started off engaging and slowly began to decline, ending on being unbelievable. The conclusion felt flat and left more to desired.
On a more conservative front, their was a certain part of the story that I understand some people's anger. However, i'm not one to judge. For all I know that might be the norm in the country of Ghargash's ancestors.
A solid 3 rating, not a book that I would recommend to a majority of people.
October 3, 2014
I found this book to be really profoundly magical in the way that it's been written. I think, there's some sort of exaggeration in the events and I've failed to completely understand how this could've taken place in 1950s UAE, but, all in all, this story brings warmth -and hot fury, if you're a woman- to your heart, and that's always a good enough reason to be reading a book.
August 23, 2018
I decided to read this mostly because I crave tasting as many different cultures through literature as possible. I read the other reviews and thought that maybe it will be light and a typical 'smalltown girl looking for a way to escape her boring surroundings' story, only set in Dubai. But it's definitely not how it was painted to be, and I had the pleasant surprise of getting into something complex and valuable in itself.
My suspicion is that the readers who dismissed it as an ordinary coming of age story aren't really that familiar with the Arab space and just couldn't tell which parts of the book are actually extraordinary for their cultural context. The research that the author put into documenting many different lifestyles from before the economic boom (nomads in the mountains, pearl divers in the sea, bazaar and city life) is very thorough and impressive.
Most of all, the story itself is very plausible. The tribe's girl who led a very isolated life is not the average Cinderella figure who is naive about the world because such is the way of fairy tales. This is a very Westernized interpretation of the story and quite a reductionist one.
In fact, it's entirely normal for Noora, the main character, to experience the world differently and to have a hard time discerning the double meaning of words, since she grew up in the mountains with only a few male members of the family. Also, we can see that this doesn't last, the entire narrative is an account of how she learns to find her way around in the bigger and harsher world, where dangers come less from nature and more from people.
My favorite quote:
"An unfulfilled dream is like spilled milk on dry earth. It sinks instantly and leaves a useless patch to remind you that you can never taste it."
My suspicion is that the readers who dismissed it as an ordinary coming of age story aren't really that familiar with the Arab space and just couldn't tell which parts of the book are actually extraordinary for their cultural context. The research that the author put into documenting many different lifestyles from before the economic boom (nomads in the mountains, pearl divers in the sea, bazaar and city life) is very thorough and impressive.
Most of all, the story itself is very plausible. The tribe's girl who led a very isolated life is not the average Cinderella figure who is naive about the world because such is the way of fairy tales. This is a very Westernized interpretation of the story and quite a reductionist one.
In fact, it's entirely normal for Noora, the main character, to experience the world differently and to have a hard time discerning the double meaning of words, since she grew up in the mountains with only a few male members of the family. Also, we can see that this doesn't last, the entire narrative is an account of how she learns to find her way around in the bigger and harsher world, where dangers come less from nature and more from people.
My favorite quote:
"An unfulfilled dream is like spilled milk on dry earth. It sinks instantly and leaves a useless patch to remind you that you can never taste it."
February 12, 2018
This is the first book I read from author Maha Gargash, an emirati author from Dubai. This book falls in the category of history fiction. From the first page, you feel sympathetic toward the leading female character, Noora Al Salmi, who's about to be married off without her consent by her younger brother. Raised in an isolated desertic mountain area far from any tribe village in a free style by her father compared to other tribal families, as she grows to a young woman she's one by one abandoned and/or betrayed by her father, her younger brother, a romantic flirt to be live with her older husband as a third wife in a city very far from her home. The leading character is a passive character realizing her fate is in the destiny of men who betrays her and/or abandon her. She has dream to live freely, but is too afraid to take the chance when the opportunity finally rises.
The story is well written. The characters well developed. The author successfully tells us a good story from a women's point of view and also shows us the lifestyle of Dubai residents way before the discovery of oil.
Despite feeling sympathetic to the leading character from the first chapter, we can't feel related directly neither to her nor to the places where the story happens because we're nobody's third wife nor live in a desert. However, through the entire story, a reader can relate to her character being stuck permanently in an environnement out of her control, dreaming of being free from anybody's supervision, but unable to achieve this kind of freedom.
It is a good book to read about culture of Dubai before oil and the status of women at the time.
The story is well written. The characters well developed. The author successfully tells us a good story from a women's point of view and also shows us the lifestyle of Dubai residents way before the discovery of oil.
Despite feeling sympathetic to the leading character from the first chapter, we can't feel related directly neither to her nor to the places where the story happens because we're nobody's third wife nor live in a desert. However, through the entire story, a reader can relate to her character being stuck permanently in an environnement out of her control, dreaming of being free from anybody's supervision, but unable to achieve this kind of freedom.
It is a good book to read about culture of Dubai before oil and the status of women at the time.
December 17, 2009
So pleased to read a novel about Dubai :)
I was so thrilled to read a novel based in Duabi, a fascinating record of culture and behaviour in this area in the '50s.
The book starts in the remote mountains of Ras al Kaimah / Musandam (I think), where two matchmakers arrive to tutor Noora in the art of becoming a wife and pleasing her husband. With this, her wild childhood, running free in the mountains, comes to an abrupt end. She is to be the third wife of a much older man; her main responsibility - to produce a baby.
She is not without temptation from younger men, however, and sails close to the wind on several occasions.
There is some wonderful imagery - a water filled cave hidden in the depths of arid mountains is one example that comes to mind. In addition there was a vivid description of the souk as Noora lands on the shores of Sharjah (??).
The language is also interesting; although extremely readable, there are give-away phrases of the author's background:
".....news crept into Moza's home on whispering tongues".
".....she clutched the bedpost and became one with the bursting clouds".
The position of women is well illustrated, particularly in relation to multiple marriages. The man is all-powerful and the wives have to get along as best they can.
Pearl diving is mentioned too, plus the ensuing health problems of fading eyesight and poor lungs.
We discussed this book at a book group and I'll agree that it's not without its flaws, but for me the reading experience was well worth the 5* that I have given.
More please Ms Gargash.
I was so thrilled to read a novel based in Duabi, a fascinating record of culture and behaviour in this area in the '50s.
The book starts in the remote mountains of Ras al Kaimah / Musandam (I think), where two matchmakers arrive to tutor Noora in the art of becoming a wife and pleasing her husband. With this, her wild childhood, running free in the mountains, comes to an abrupt end. She is to be the third wife of a much older man; her main responsibility - to produce a baby.
She is not without temptation from younger men, however, and sails close to the wind on several occasions.
There is some wonderful imagery - a water filled cave hidden in the depths of arid mountains is one example that comes to mind. In addition there was a vivid description of the souk as Noora lands on the shores of Sharjah (??).
The language is also interesting; although extremely readable, there are give-away phrases of the author's background:
".....news crept into Moza's home on whispering tongues".
".....she clutched the bedpost and became one with the bursting clouds".
The position of women is well illustrated, particularly in relation to multiple marriages. The man is all-powerful and the wives have to get along as best they can.
Pearl diving is mentioned too, plus the ensuing health problems of fading eyesight and poor lungs.
We discussed this book at a book group and I'll agree that it's not without its flaws, but for me the reading experience was well worth the 5* that I have given.
More please Ms Gargash.
April 9, 2017
أنهيت الرواية وأنا أتساءل .. ماذا فعلت يا نورا !
هل أشفق عليك أم أرتاع منك .. أم مثلك كثيرات ....
تلك نورا الشخصية الرئيسية في سمكة الرمل و التي جاءت لتحمل صفات عنوان روايتها سمكة الرمل التي قد تسعى إلى حتفها في حال ما استطاعت تلقي مصيرها.. مع إني أرى أن نورا تحدت مصيرها بل وصنعته بأيديها، فلم تكن حالة شاذة عن بنات عصرها ، ولم يكن زواجها تغرير بها وإلا ما انصاعت لصوت العقل واختارت البقاء مع زوجها جاسم وعدم الهرب...
نورا التي تجرعت مرارة اليتم برحيل والدتها والفقد برحيل والدها مرتين .. برحيله العقلي ومن ثم رحيله عن عالمها وفقده للأدب، ومحاولاتها الجزعه لانقاذ علاقتها مع أخيها المقرب والتي تسللت إليها حواجز النضج...
بنت الجبل التي سيقت الى البحر الى عالم مجهول لتحل زوجة ثالثة لعلها تمطر أطفالاَ لزوج طال عطشه للذرية والأبناء...وما تلاه من جرم الهائل الذي حملته فوق حملها ...
ماما لطيفة والتي أراها الشخصية المحورية ئفي الرواية، والتي تحرك الجميع بخيوط وهمية تتحرك مع حركة أناملها.. تلك التي فاجئتني بدهائها المدمر وان كان لهدف مبرر بنظرها...
سمكة الرمل لمها قرقاش أجدها ذات نسق روائي جميل، وبالرغم من أنها مترجمة للعربية إلا أنني لا أجد إلا أن أشيد بترجمة الرواية وباللغة الجميلة السلسه للترجمة، مع احتوائها على بعض المفردات من اللهجة الإماراتية.
هل أشفق عليك أم أرتاع منك .. أم مثلك كثيرات ....
تلك نورا الشخصية الرئيسية في سمكة الرمل و التي جاءت لتحمل صفات عنوان روايتها سمكة الرمل التي قد تسعى إلى حتفها في حال ما استطاعت تلقي مصيرها.. مع إني أرى أن نورا تحدت مصيرها بل وصنعته بأيديها، فلم تكن حالة شاذة عن بنات عصرها ، ولم يكن زواجها تغرير بها وإلا ما انصاعت لصوت العقل واختارت البقاء مع زوجها جاسم وعدم الهرب...
نورا التي تجرعت مرارة اليتم برحيل والدتها والفقد برحيل والدها مرتين .. برحيله العقلي ومن ثم رحيله عن عالمها وفقده للأدب، ومحاولاتها الجزعه لانقاذ علاقتها مع أخيها المقرب والتي تسللت إليها حواجز النضج...
بنت الجبل التي سيقت الى البحر الى عالم مجهول لتحل زوجة ثالثة لعلها تمطر أطفالاَ لزوج طال عطشه للذرية والأبناء...وما تلاه من جرم الهائل الذي حملته فوق حملها ...
ماما لطيفة والتي أراها الشخصية المحورية ئفي الرواية، والتي تحرك الجميع بخيوط وهمية تتحرك مع حركة أناملها.. تلك التي فاجئتني بدهائها المدمر وان كان لهدف مبرر بنظرها...
سمكة الرمل لمها قرقاش أجدها ذات نسق روائي جميل، وبالرغم من أنها مترجمة للعربية إلا أنني لا أجد إلا أن أشيد بترجمة الرواية وباللغة الجميلة السلسه للترجمة، مع احتوائها على بعض المفردات من اللهجة الإماراتية.
December 5, 2019
This book touched me in every possible way.
I wanted to follow every detail in Noora’s journey, this free-spirited mountain girl, full of life an energy who had to get married at the age of 17 to fulfill her role in society.
What made me fall in love with this book is mostly the storytelling and the focus on the girl’s strong will to take things in her hands, rather than point out the oppressive situation she lived in.
I loved Noora’s strength and intelligence, how she had to choose her battles, surrender at times but still try hard to shape her future.
It was so interesting to read about their traditions and the position set for women and men in that society, which still exist in many parts of the world: the man having to provide for the house and the woman’s major role being to give birth and cook.
Nothing is wrong with this setup as long as the woman has a say in her role.
This book is a real life tale, where the heroine is not saved by a hero but by her own self.
Every step in her way is a message full of hope.
My rating : 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
I wanted to follow every detail in Noora’s journey, this free-spirited mountain girl, full of life an energy who had to get married at the age of 17 to fulfill her role in society.
What made me fall in love with this book is mostly the storytelling and the focus on the girl’s strong will to take things in her hands, rather than point out the oppressive situation she lived in.
I loved Noora’s strength and intelligence, how she had to choose her battles, surrender at times but still try hard to shape her future.
It was so interesting to read about their traditions and the position set for women and men in that society, which still exist in many parts of the world: the man having to provide for the house and the woman’s major role being to give birth and cook.
Nothing is wrong with this setup as long as the woman has a say in her role.
This book is a real life tale, where the heroine is not saved by a hero but by her own self.
Every step in her way is a message full of hope.
My rating : 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
February 12, 2013
Maha Gargash is a great writer, but I didn't like this particular story because I just couldn't connect with the characters in this book. The settings, the background the time and the wonderful bits and pieces the author threw in about the UAE lifestyle during that time were very informative, yet I felt she could have gone into more depth. I read so many western novels and in the good ones, I would actually experience the characters' emotions and feelings, and would can easily connect. The most important thing for me in a novel is that I have to fall in love with the protagonists with their flaws. But in this case, I just wasn't able to like any of the characters or the events of the story. It started out nicely, but then to me it kept going downhill. It doesn't mean that I would not read another book by the author. I am interested to find out what's the next book she will be writing about.
May 31, 2017
[#58 United Arab Emirates] 2.5/5 This book's major flaw is its lack of credibility. First of all, everything is so predictable you can guess the plot by reading the back cover and you'll never get surprised once. Second of all, the plot tends to stagnate and every single event that makes it take a step forward comes out of nowhere. This is a serious case of deus ex machina right here. I couldn't believe in either of the love stories because I had no idea where they came from. Some characters literally just showed up at convenient times. It's too bad because I think this novel really had potential. I also think it really suffers from the comparison with A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, who did a lot better with similar tropes.
June 8, 2014
The Sand Fish "A novel from Dubai" by Maha Gargash is a wonderful novel about a seventeen year old girl called Noora. Noora lives with her ill father and three siblings Hamood, Abood, and Sager. They are relatively poor and they live in a very small house. The oldest sibling (Sager) thinks of a way to improve the life of his sister. After he becomes the head of the family and forces Noora to marry a rich merchant for a better life, he changes the aspects of Noora's life in which it will affect the way she sees the world.
January 1, 2010
A well-written, interesting, relevant, and entertaining book which dives into many of the issues about traditional life for women in the UAE. What made is especially enjoyable was having Maha join our book club meeting last month. Wonderful insight into the changing role of women in UAE society as we compared life in the 1950's to today. Great read for anyone fascinated by this microcosm of cultures and women's traditional roles in the UAE.
August 2, 2011
Living in the U.A.E, I really wanted to read something that is based here. This book is the first one I came across that has been based in the UAE which is why I got it. The book began really well, however it was a bit disappointing towards the middle to end. I also found it quite predictable. Overall it was an alright read, could have been much better. I hope someone writes a novel which is based on today's well established United Arab Emirates.
January 11, 2010
It was amazing reading - full of life, emotions, and thinking !
I liked alot the lifestyle details that the author successful managed to present plus the main character Noora - it is just wooow
The open end was presented in a wonderful way !
I liked alot the lifestyle details that the author successful managed to present plus the main character Noora - it is just wooow
The open end was presented in a wonderful way !
April 5, 2010
This book is a good intro into UAE history without being too overwhelming. I liked the cultural information and perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot but did not find it heart wrenching, which was a relief. I wanted something educational but not too heavy and that is what I got.
June 24, 2015
I liked the story from the beginning, when Noraa was that innocent girl .. however I didn't like it when she was forced to get married.
She was the third wife of that rich, old man.
And I think that unhappy marriage led her to face many problems.
She was the third wife of that rich, old man.
And I think that unhappy marriage led her to face many problems.
September 3, 2016
The book doesn't deserve even star. It's boring, has no point and depressed.
Being an Emirate girl and knowing our culture and our past this book is not even close to our life. I have no idea why did the writer came up with this story !
Being an Emirate girl and knowing our culture and our past this book is not even close to our life. I have no idea why did the writer came up with this story !
March 26, 2017
The novel no matter how well written.. Is not. And will not represent emarati women of the 50s its trying to shape an image of the woman the English aimed to impose on this land but failed.. Sadly the English mission was carried out by an emiraty writer.
September 21, 2014
Read this book back in my high school,loved it! Typical middle eastern female struggle with family and society and obligations towards family !
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