Lyrics Alley - Softcover

Aboulela, Leila

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1443404993 ISBN 13: 9781443404990

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 2011

Synopsis

In 1950s Sudan, the powerful Abuzeid dynasty has amasseda fortune through their trading firm with Mahmoud Bey atits helm. But when Mahmoud’s son, Nur, suffers a debilitatingaccident, the family is suddenly divided in the face of anuncertain future.

As British rule nears its end, Sudan is torn between modernizinginfluences and the call of traditions past -- a conflictreflected in Mahmoud’s two wives: Nabilah, who longs to escapethe dust of “backward-looking” Sudan, and Waheeba, wholives traditionally within the confines of her open-air kitchen.It is not until Nur begins to assert himself outside the strictcultural limits that both his own spirit and the frayed bonds ofhis family can begin to mend.

This sweeping tale by the IMPAC and Orange Prize nominated writer is one of the most accomplished and evocativeportraits ever written about Sudanese society at the timeof independence.

About this title

About the Author:

LEILA ABOULELA was born in Cairo and grew up in Khartoum. She is the author of two novels: The Translator, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and Minaret—both longlisted for the Orange Prize and the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Her book of short stories, Coloured Lights, published in 2001, contained her story “The Museum,” which made her the first winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing. Leila Aboulela lives between Doha and Aberdeen. Visit her website at www.leila-aboulela.com.

Review:

--Winner of the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book Award for Fiction--Short-listed for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize (South Asia and Europe)--Long listed for the Orange Prize for Fiction "Aboulela's vivid . . . fleet and engrossing narrative . . . [is full of] a generosity of spirit that extends to all her characters."--"The New York Times Book Review " "A novel as thoughtful as it is evocative . . . Aboulela writes with precision and depth of feeling."--"The Boston Globe" "Beautifully rendered . . . The prose is smooth and clear. . . . As a tale of stricken love between two souls, Lyrics Alley is impressive."--"The Guardian" "Leila Aboulela's "Lyrics Alley" gives us the rich and complex world of a Sudanese patriarch in the 1950s who presides over a household containing two wives, various nieces, two sons--a new world full of modern ambitions and ancient problems. I read it with the delight one has suddenly stumbling on lush and abundant hidden gardens behind foreign city walls, various with its own life and laws, and infinitely satisfying."--Sarah Blake, author of" The Postmistress " "[Aboulela's] breakthrough novel . . . Real, compelling, and ultimately moving . . . Highly recommended for readers who enjoy family sagas set against a political backdrop, such as Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart "and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's "Half a Yellow Sun.""--"Library Journal" (starred review) "Rich in detail and generous in spirit toward its complex characters, ["Lyrics Alley"] showcases Aboulela's talent for connecting political and personal upheaval. [An] elegantly written family epic that brings to mind Naguib Mahfouz's "The Cairo Trilogy.""--"Kirkus Reviews" "Haunting . . . Keeps the reader gripped . . . A tale of powerful feelings and potent words . . . this visceral, epic novel . . . gives fascinating insights into Sudanese society, with different characters embodying the dramatic clash between traditionn

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1443404993
• ISBN 13: 9781443404990
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320