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When Mahmoud Abd El Zahir is sent to govern the remote Egyptian oasis of Siwa in the late 1890s, he knows the danger he faces - two of his predecessors were murdered. But having been accused of disloyalty to the current regime and its British overlords, he has little choice. Rather than stay behind in Cairo, his Irish wife Catherine insists on going too, hoping to reinvigorate their relationship. Once at Siwa, Mahmoud finds himself caught between two warring factions, while Catherine succeeds in alienating the entire community - all except for a beautiful young woman. At once a complex tale of love and an exploration of power, occupation and rebellion, SUNSET OASIS tells of people struggling to free themselves from the grip of the past. It is a striking, haunting novel by one of the Arab world's most celebrated writers.
Report
A boldly imaginative exploration of Egypt's tragic history, and takes us back to the imperial dreams of Alexander the Great, suggesting parallels with the dreams of Bush and Bush. Taher's voice is sombre, wise and lyrical. Margaret Drabble, Times Literary Supplement Books of the Year
