"A reflective, emotionally resonant multi-narrative novel exploring ideology, loss, grief, and reconciliation across years and continents. "
A race to decipher a journal and discover the location of a terror attack takes us through the grief, guilt and reckoning of family and friends. Set against the turbulent backdrop of 9/11, the following wars and the Arab spring we watch as history professor Omar reads his son’s journal, delivered to him with his missing son’s body and an urgent request from the CIA for him to decode it. We step back in time to see what caused Nassar to be estranged from his family and friends as seeing how all their lives played out in the interim years. Navigating these historic events we explore ideology, culture, relationships, guilt and grief.
The Gales of Alexandria is a complex literary novel. We have the sense of urgency from the answers held in Nassar’s journey throughout but the novel still moves at a pace that offers plenty of time for character development, ideological exploration and reflection. This book is far-reaching, covering the experiences of multiple characters and spanning continents - from Egypt and the city of Alexandria across the Middle East and to America where Adham and Youssef move to forge new lives. Each character is well formed and unique as they forge their own lives, oftentimes diverging from the more rigid judgement of their culture or the expectations of others. This is a well crafted literary read with thought-provoking depth and nuance that asks questions about loss and reconciliation.
Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading Ambassador
| Primary Genre | Literary Fiction |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
