Soheir Khashoggi

La canción de Nadia
Soheir Khashoggi
Publicado: 2000 | 439 páginas

Un féretro, escoltado por militares y altos mandatarios, atraviesa las calles de El Cairo. A su paso va dejando una estela de anónimas voces que expresan dolor y gratitud hacia el cuerpo que va en su interior: es el de Karima, nacida pobre y mujer, condiciones que, en la rígida sociedad egipcia de los años cuarenta, le predestinaban a una aciaga existencia marcada por la obediencia y la sumisión. Porque Karima no estaba show more llamada a una vida fácil. Una sociedad hostil y un destino adverso iban a marcar toda su existencia; un destino al que ella hará frente con el único don que nadie podrá arrebatarle: su voz. Una voz privilegiada que se convertirá en un mito para el pueblo árabe por su habilidad para transmitir un mensaje de esperanza, un sentimiento frágil y, sin embargo, el único que puede hacer olvidar los sinsabores de la vida. No obstante, para Nadia, una joven periodista, Karima era mucho más que una leyenda, y develar los secretos de su vida y de su confusa muerte es una cuestión que va más allá de un simple objetivo profesional. Algo imprescindible para dar también sentido a su existencia. show less

A rather grim view of the life of a privileged woman in a strictly muslim country. The story threads around the abused and restrictive life she leads even while having a lot of luxury. She escapes and moves to USA where she settles with her young son, whose father is a royal prince and she expects he will continue to try to find her, kill her and retrieve his son.

#27, 2007

This is an interesting book set in a fictious Arab country in which a young woman, Amira, marries into the royal family, only to find herself showered with not only luxuries, but with severe physical abuse from her new husband, one of the country's princes. Her own culture allows her no way to speak out against this abuse, nor does it give her any protection, so, with the help of a French doctor, she fakes her own death, and manages to escape with her son. From that point on, even show more though she does have her freedom, she lives in constant terror that her violent, wealthy husband will find her someday, the consequences of which would surely be dire.

It was an interesting look at a world which seems so far removed from my own (and is, in many ways). And yet, the author made the point very clearly that there are women in all walks of life who suffer abuse at the hands of their partners, and who often feel equally as trapped as Amira did, even when living in modern-day America.

The strange thing for me about reading this is that I often felt as though I'd read it before. Certainly there was one scene that I was sure I'd read before, although since it came half-way through the book, it seemed odd that I wouldn't have remembered what came before. And by the end, I was surprised by what happened. So, I'm not sure if this was similar to something I read years ago, or if perhaps I read an excerpt from this book in a magazine or something, some time ago. 4 stars. show less

Pass this one. Better to read the more gripping Not Without My Daughter. The past few years have seen a not so unexpected surge of interest in Iranian, Iraqi, Afghani and you name it I have it Islam-kind of books. I confess I love reading such books. Offers a glimpse into a culture so different yet so similar to one I claim to belong to. But what is Mosaic? Ya ya, Dina Ahmadwakes up one day, finds that her husband, a Jordanian has taken their two kids and nanny to beloved Jordan. Boo hooing show more Dina teams with some verrrrrrrrrrry understanding friends - then finds some mysterious detective who comes to Jordan with her. They try to abduct the children back to beloved America. Ahem. Great story.

What happens? Husband has a change of heart. Decides to give one of the kids back - the daughter. And then, the son does a disappearing act, and bingo, Dad is completely changed. Returns both. End of story.

Spare me. Spare me. Spare me Soheir Khashoggi. There might be lots who will like this book. I definitely will never join them. show less