Cities without Palms

by Tarek Eltayeb, Kareem James Palmer-Zeid, طارق الطيب

In a desperate attempt to save his mother and two sisters from famine and disease, a young man leaves his native village in Sudan and sets out alone to seek work in the city. This is the beginning of Hamza’s long journey. Hunger and destitution lead him ever farther from his first from Sudan to Egypt, where the lack of work forces him to join a band of smugglers, and finally from Egypt to Europe―Italy, France, Holland―where he experiences first-hand the harsh world of migrant laborers and the bitter realities of life as an illegal immigrant. Tarek Eltayeb’s first novel offers an uncompromising depiction of poverty in both the developed and the developing world. With its simple yet elegant style, Cities without Palms tells of a tragic human life punctuated by moments of true joy.

“Once started it is difficult to put down. It is sensational, original, and altogether a magnificent literary debut.” ―James Kirkup, Banipal

Genres: Sudan, Africa, Egypt, African Literature, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Historical

100 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[د.حنان فاروق · Rating 3 out of 5]

كأني كنت أشاهد عملًا من سينما الواقع التي برع في إخراجها صلاح ابو سيف ... لقد أفلحت الرواية بجملها السريعة اللاهثة بأن تجرنا جرًا وراء حمزة بطل الرواية أو تحملنا في أنفاسه المتلاحقة من غربة إلى غربة ومن ضياع إلى تيه إلى حلم مايلبث أن يتقلب إلى كابوس عاصف.. ينسى نفسه وحين يحاول أن يجلس معها ويصاحبها تضيع منه.. تضيع منه النخلة وأمه وأختاه والقرية ... يفر منه الحب الذي يفشل في أن يهبه جذرًا .. جنينًا غير شرعي مايلبث أن يجهض كما يجهض أي جمال تمسه يداه..إنهم الفقراء البعيدون جدًا عن الحياة .. الضائعون في خضم البحث عن أنفاس تجعلهم شبيهين بالبشر ذوي الأيدي الناعمة الذين يعيشون على وجه الأرض لا تحتها ... لم أجد شخصيات مبتورة ولا صدفًا وهمية يندر حدوثها في حياة هؤلاء المعدمين .. إلا بقدر... الرواية مكثفة ربما.. تنهكك .. ربما تحكي لك أكثر مما تريك لكنها تبقى واقعًا خالصًا من واقع زمن تتطور أدواته ربما ويتعملق فقره وضياعه...

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story of a migrants' voyage from Sudan, to Egypt to Europe. In general, I think the main flaw the author makes is that he tries to put 1,5 years of a trip into a very tiny book. Better take one part and describe it in detail. But for people who don't like reading and are interested in migrants' stories or travelliterature, this book can be recommended. It's a bit of a sad cliche story, but nicely put.

[DubaiReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Driven from home.

This novella was short but powerful. It is narrated by nineteen year old Hamza, whose father had remarried and left him, his mother and two sisters, with no support. They had managed for several years with the help of a neighbouring family, but when drought devastated their village and the surrounding areas, the other family moved away. Hamza now feels the weight of responsibility and decides to seek work in the city. He is inexperienced and uneducated, but ready to turn his hand to anything.

He travels on foot, by bus and in trains, firstly to the nearest big city, Omdurman, then on to Khartoum, into Egypt and finally over to Europe - France, Italy and Holland. Work is never easy to find and the line between employment and crime is distinctly blurred. He makes friends on the way and jobs often come via these contacts. As he travels he sends money back to his family but communication from them is sparse and he worries the whole time, missing his home.

I agree with other reviewers that Hamza is not sufficiently overawed by the sights and sounds he encounters in the big cities and doesn't get into as much trouble as he might, given his circumstances, but this did not detract from the book's message for me. In very few, well chosen words, Tarek Eltayeb paints the picture of desperation that would surround a young man, forced to leave behind everything he holds dear, just to save them. I could clearly see how desperation might turn such a man to crime.

An excellent translation and an author to watch. Recommended.

[Elissa Bader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book so much, but it was so sad! Some parts were a bit boring, but the entire book is not that big, it just takes around 5-6 hours max to finish it.
I recommend reading it

[Anas Jarrar]

كتاب اكثر من رائع , استمتعت بقراءة كل سطر فيه لا وبل كل كلمة .. قصة محبوكة بفن جميل يحاكي واقع مرير لشعب شقيق جبار , قصة معاناة المهاجر الذي يسافر لاقاصي الارض بحثا عن لقمة العيش ليحسن من معيشته ومعيشة عائلته , في القصة تفاصيل اخذتني الى اعماق الكاتب عشت كل تفاصيل حياة حمزة. خطوة بخطوة.. قدست والدة حمزة المرأة العظيمة الصابرة على كل مافي حياتها الغبراء.. قسوة والد حمزة, واخيرا شيخ كرهته ومقته من خلال كلمات الكاتب , فيالك من كاتب عظيم عزيزي الدكتور طارق

شكرا على هذا الكتاب الذي احزنني وافرحني.. علمني اشياء كثيرة رغم قصره الذي لا يتجاوز المئة وثلاثين صفحة لكن فيه حكم وعبر تحتاج لالاف الصفحات لكتباتها.. بدأت قراءة الكتاب ولم اتوقف حتى انتهيت منه لشدة تعلقي في الشخصيات

[David Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

A worthy, short (90 pages) novela on the hardships of life inside Sudan AND the equally harsh conditions that migrant workers in Europe face.

http://www.warscapes.com/retrospectiv...

Cities Without Palms ** Read in Khartoum, Sudan (August 2021)

[Hajir Ayad · Rating 5 out of 5]

مؤلم ان يكون الإنسان ضحية لظروف لا ناقه له بها ولا جمل

[Angel Villanueva · Rating 2 out of 5]

too many time skips for a short book, gives characters little room for emotional development. writing wasn’t particularly profound

[Julia Yoko · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rate this a three because I wish it was longer. It felt like a good draft or pitch to something bigger, but for what it was, it was good.

[caroumph · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved the story and was very interested the whole time, i thought it moved really quickly at times tho but understandable for such a short length

[Clarita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Place: got it from Maughan Library (King's), first book read in my room in London

[Raya Al-Raddadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

رواية قصيرة بحبكة ثرية تشعر أثناء القراءة وكأنك تركض.
رغم كل المشاعر التي قد تعتريك إلا أن شعور الألم هو الأقوى. رواية تتحدث عن قسوة الحياة وقسوة الفقر وقسوة الهجرة وقسوة الفقد !

[Garryvivianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sad. Beautifully written tho. A young man leaves his mother & sisters in a small village in Sudan. He wants to leave to help his small family from the poverty & the hunger they are going thru. He goes thru a long & very hard journey trying to find work so he can send money home. He learns the hardships of being an migrant worker having to live the hard life of an illegal immigrant. Well done book by Tarek Eltayeb.

[Karim Hikal · Rating 4 out of 5]

روايةاكثر ما يميزها الصدق
اللغة بديعة,, فقرات كتير من الرواية حسيتها شعر اكتر منه نثر
عيبها الوحيد انها قصيرة
او يمكن انا حسيت كدة عشان مكنتش عاوزها تخلص
الرواية مؤلمة بقدر ما هي صادقة

Merged review:

روايةاكثر ما يميزها الصدق
اللغة بديعة,, فقرات كتير من الرواية حسيتها شعر اكتر منه نثر
عيبها الوحيد انها قصيرة
او يمكن انا حسيت كدة عشان مكنتش عاوزها تخلص
الرواية مؤلمة بقدر ما هي صادقة

[Kerryevelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bleak and sad, but poignant, and the first piece of Sudanese literature I'd ever read. Really sad, but I guess such is the life of an illegal Sudanese immigrant from a small, famine-ridden village...

[Marla Griffith · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was sad. It is amazing to read about people who live on the edge of society. I read it for this month's Kutub book club

[Ahmed Diaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

أبكتني آخر صفحة .

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it in one sitting. It's not very long, more a novella than a novel but that doesn't detract from the great writing. As with many of huge books I have read recently it is emotionally draining.