Book picks similar to
This Side of Innocence by Rashid Al-Daif
middle-eastern
abandoned
arabic-lit-in-english
lebanon-lit
Shadow City: A Woman Walks Kabul
Taran N. Khan - 2019
When Taran N. Khan arrived in Kabul in the spring of 2006, five years after the overthrow of the Taliban regime, she was earnestly cautioned never to walk. Her instincts compelled her to do the opposite: to take that precarious first step and enter the life of the city with the unique, tactile intimacy that comes from being a walker. She didn't stop until 2013, when she returned to India.In Shadow City, Taran N. Khan paints a lyrical, personal, and meditative portrait of a city we know primarily in terms of conflict and peace. As a Muslim woman raised in a small town in India, Taran discovered that she had access to parts of Kabul uncharted by travellers before her. The result reads like an elegiac prose map of the city, rich with surprises-from the glitter of wedding halls that shine like a bizarre version of Las Vegas; to the mental health hospital where women are abandoned and isolated but exist in a rare space of freedom and solitude; to the bookseller behind The Bookseller of Kabul, who sued Åsne Seierstad for her portrayal of him and then published the rebuttal which he displays proudly in his shop window.
So What: New and Selected Poems 1971-2005
Taha Muhammad Ali - 2006
As a boy he was exiled from his hometown, and from this devastating loss he has created art of the highest order. His poems portray experiences that range from catastrophe to splendor, each preserving an essential human dignity. So What includes Arabic en face and introductions by cotranslators Gabriel Levin and Peter Cole.
Girl from Fatehpur
Sarita Varma - 2013
“Sana, you are only a kid…you will soon forget all this. Besides, don’t you also love Shahrukh Khan?”A decade has gone by and Sanjana, now a highflying professional in Mumbai, had thought she was over her childhood crush on Rajan. However, a chance encounter at a family wedding in her hometown Fatehpur re-kindles all her old feelings for him. But what about Krish, her persistent suitor who is also a senior colleague in the office? He just will not take no for an answer! His unexpected arrival in Fatehpur results in heated rivalry between the two men.Will the ensuing tension and misunderstanding put an end to all her hopes of happiness? Her first love Rajan, or Krish, her handsome eligible colleague…who will win Sanjana’s impulsive heart?
The Seduction of Silence
Bem Le Hunte - 2001
Follow Five Generations of One Remarkable Indian Family on a Quest for Enlightenment.
Desperately Seeking Summer
Mandy Baggot - 2018
If you love Kat French and Sarah Morgan, you'll love Mandy Baggot's sizzling summer romantic comedies. Abby Dolan is having a very bad day... In twenty-four hours, she's lost her job and her boyfriend. Single and with nothing left to lose, she's headed for a Corfu escape to spend time with her family while she heals her broken heart.Only her mum and sister's estate agency 'Desperately Seeking' is just that, desperate! Instead of the relaxing, sunshine holiday she'd hoped for, Abby finds herself spending her break helping get the business back on its feet. Determined to attract new clients and give her family a second chance at success, she finds the perfect property to sell in Villa Pappas complete with gorgeous gardener, Theo.Perhaps working this summer could be a welcome distraction after all. But Theo has his own secrets and Abby isn't the only thing he wants to take off the market...
Unfortunately, It Was Paradise: Selected Poems
Mahmoud Darwish - 2002
He is a living legend whose lyrics are sung by fieldworkers and schoolchildren. He has assimilated some of the world's oldest literary traditions at the same time that he has struggled to open new possibilities for poetry. This collection spans Darwish's entire career, nearly four decades, revealing an impressive range of expression and form. A splendid team of translators has collaborated with the poet on these new translations, which capture Darwish's distinctive voice and spirit.
The Whole Pet Diet: Eight Weeks to Great Health for Dogs and Cats
Andi Brown - 2006
Yet despite promises of complete and balanced meals, most commercial pet foods contain chemical preservatives, indigestible fillers, and dangerous by-products. If your pets are overweight, ailing, or aging—or you just want them to be as healthy as possible—THE WHOLE PET DIET offers a straightforward plan to achieve lifelong health and well-being. Featuring twenty-five easy recipes for homemade meals and treats, a guide to natural supplements, and practical tips for no-stress grooming and play, this holistic approach to pet care creates optimal health for dogs and cats—and it just might changethe way you eat, too.Reviews“. . . this book is your pet's ticket to pristine health and longevity.”—Tails Pet Magazine“Andi Brown writes from the heart with years of experience to her credit. Her information is logically developed and her advice is clearly presented. This book empowers you to take control of your animal's health.” —Anitra Frazier, author of The New Natural Cat “If you believe, like Andi Brown does, that pets are as integral to the family as they are to the ebb and flow of life, then this book will dramatically improve the health and vitality of all your four-legged family members.” —Dr. Marty Becker, veterinary contributor to Good Morning America and author of The Healing Power of Pets “THE WHOLE PET DIET is a must-read for any pet owner.”—Ann Martin, author of Protect Your Pet and Food Pets Die For “Andi Brown is on a mission to bring the best health to every pet using one of the most fundamental and important of medicines: good, wholesome food.”—Gregory Todd, D.V.M. “Bravo to Andi Brown, who makes animals happier, sweeter smelling, and less itchy without hurting the environment and without animal tests.” —Ingrid E. Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals review in New Age Retailer
Shatila Stories
Omar Khaled AhmadHiba Mareb - 2018
On every page, the glint of hope for dignity and a better life is heartbreakingly alive.’ Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite RunnerMost novels are written by professional writers using second hand material. Not this one. Peirene commissioned nine refugees to tell their ‘Shatila Stories’. The result is a piece of collaborative fiction unlike any other. If you want to understand the chaos of the Middle East – or you just want to follow the course of a beautiful love story – start here.Adam and his family flee Syria and arrive at the Shatila refugee camp in Beirut. Conditions in this overcrowded Palestinian camp are tough, and violence defines many of the relationships: a father fights to save his daughter, a gang leader plots to expand his influence, and drugs break up a family. Adam struggles to make sense of his refugee experience, but then he meets Shatha and starts to view the camp through her eyes.Why Peirene chose to commission this book:‘I want to hear their stories and see if their imaginations can open up a new path of understanding between us. Collaborative works of literature can achieve what no other literature can do. By pooling our imaginations we are able to access something totally different and new that goes beyond boundaries – that of the individual, of nations, of cultures. It connects us to our common human essence: our creativity. Let’s make stories, not more war.’ Meike Ziervogel
The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew - 1998
In these vivid memoirs, Lee takes a profoundly personal look back at the events that led to Singapore's independence and shaped its struggle for success. And, as always, he lets the chips fall where they may.In intimate detail, Lee recounts Singapore's unforgettable history. You'll be with Lee as he leads striking unionists against the colonial government; shares tea and rounds of golf with key players in Britain and Malaya; and drinks warm Anchor beer with leaders of the communist underground at secret midnight meetings. From British colonial rule through Japanese occupation in World War II, Communist insurrection, riots, independence -- and the struggles that followed -- few political memoirs anywhere have been this blunt, or this fascinating.Anyone interested in the political history of Singapore, Asia, and the modern world.
The Messenger Boy Murders
Perihan Mağden - 1991
Unwillingly charged with investigating mysterious deaths among the city's fleet of seemingly perfect, ageless messenger boys, Stravrogin encounters the city's strange, charismatic characters and its even stranger secret—a program of genetic engineering.
The Virgins
Siddharth Tripathi - 2013
His friend and confidant, 17-year-old Bhandu, is not faring any better — his parents are divorcing, his father has abandoned him, and the American tourist he is infatuated with doesn’t even know he exists. Bhandu and Pinku seek solace in the distracting shenanigans of their friend Guggi — a pampered rich brat who can do anything for a thrill. Guggi’s reckless hedonism lands the threesome in a series of 'sexpot' escapades — each adventure weirder than the one before.But their seemingly innocuous joyride is about to end.With their Class 12 exams around the corner, Guggi, restless to leave a mark, takes over the school’s notorious protection racket in a violent coup. The fallout drags the trio into a murky world of heartbreak, betrayal, and bloody vengeance . . .Fast, funny, and earthy, The Virgins is a coming-of-age novel that marks the debut of a promising writer.
Beirut 39: New Writing from the Arab World
Samuel Shimon - 2010
The selection of the "Beirut 39" follows the success of a similar competition in the 2007 World Book Capital, Bogotá, celebrating achievements in Latin American literature.This year, for the first time, the winners--nominated by publishers, literary critics, and readers across the Arab world and internationally, and selected by a panel of eminent Arab writers, academics, and journalists--will be published together in a one-of-a-kind anthology. Edited by Samuel Shimon of Banipal magazine, the collection will be published simultaneously in Arabic and English throughout the world by Bloomsbury and Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing.Beirut 39 provides an important look at the Arab-speaking world today, through the eyes of thirty-nine of its brightest young literary stars.
A Life Less Ordinary: A Memoir
Baby Halder - 2002
Exhausted and desperate, the young mother finally fled with her three children in 1999 to Delhi, where she found work as a maid in some of the city's wealthiest homes.Expected to serve her employers' every grueling demand, Halder faced a staggering workload that often left her no time to care for her own children.The young woman's luck finally turned when she started working for Prabodh Kumar, a retired anthropology professor who noticed Halder's interest in his library. Kumar helped her to read his books and newspapers—which she devoured enthusiastically—then suggested that she write down her own life story. In A Life Less Ordinary, the fascinating result of her writing sessions with Kumar, Halder speaks for a multitude of Indian women, revealing a world of poverty and subjugation few outsiders have heard about. Halder writes simply and candidly of her life as a young girl, and later as a struggling mother.Without a trace of melodrama or self-pity, she describes her experiences of growing up poor and neglected, struggling to manage children and a violent husband while she herself was only fourteen years old, and, finally, of escaping her past ultimately to triumph as a writer.Already a huge success in India, where it has been published in Hindi, Bengali, and several other languages, A Life Less Ordinary is an astonishing story of strength, courage, and determination that continues to inspire readers everywhere.
The Alchemy of Desire
Tarun J. Tejpal - 2005
Obsessed with each other, they move from a small town to the big city, where the man, who dreams of being a writer, works feverishly on a novel, stopping only to feed his ceaseless desire for his beautiful wife.A chance occurrence allows the lovers to abandon the city for a mist-shrouded spur of the lower Himalayas and move into a sprawling old house, which they hope will embody their love. At first they pursue their deep physical need with a reckless intensity. But during renovations of the house, a set of diaries written by the original inhabitant—a glamorous American adventuress—is unearthed, and the narrator finds himself irresistibly drawn away from his wife and thrust into another world and time, into the hole of history. As his life and love fall apart, he slowly begins to uncover the dark secrets at the heart of her story, until the shocking truth is laid bare and all certainties are overturned.Inventive, playful, heartbreaking, brimming with ideas and memorable characters, The Alchemy of Desire celebrates the chaotic spirit of a country during a time of great change. It also offers, in searing, lucid prose, a deeply sensual and moving meditation on the nature of desire, history, truth, and art. This is a major novel by one of the most significant new voices of his generation.
Out of Place
Edward W. Said - 1999
This account of his early life reveals how it influenced his books Orientalism and Culture and Imperialism. Edward Said was born in Jerusalem and brought up in Cairo, spending every summer in the Lebanese mountain village of Dhour el Shweir, until he was 'banished' to America in 1951. This work is a mixture of emotional archaeology and memory, exploring an essentially irrecoverable past. As ill health sets him thinking about endings, Edward Said returns to his beginnings in this personal memoir of his ferociously demanding 'Victorian' father and his adored, inspiring, yet ambivalent mother.