A fascinating book and a great pleasure to read: Betool Khedairi is a talented new voice in fiction.
Alaa Al AswanyEgyptians are like camels: they can put up with beatings, humiliation and starvation for a long time but when they rebel they do so suddenly and with a force that is impossible to control.
Alaa Al AswanyIlliteracy does not impede the practice of democracy, as witnessed by the success of democracy in India despite the high illiteracy rate. One doesn't need a university diploma to realize that the ruler is oppressive and corrupt. On the other hand, to eradicate illiteracy requires that we elect a fair and efficient political regime.
Alaa Al Aswany