Zeina - Paperback

by Nawal El Saadawi (Author), Amira Nowaira (Translator)

"More than any other woman, Nawal El Saadawi has come has come to embody the trials of Arab feminism."--San Francisco Chronicle

"The leading spokeswoman on the status of women in the Arab World."--Guardian

"Saadawi writes with directness and passion."--The New York Times

Bodour, a distinguished literary critic and university professor, carries with her a dark secret. As a young university student, she fell in love with a political activist and gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, Zeina, whom she abandoned on the streets of Cairo.

Zeina grows up to become one of Egypt's most beloved entertainers, despite being deprived of a name and a home. In contrast, Bodour remains trapped in a loveless marriage, pining for her daughter. In an attempt to find solace she turns to literature, writing a fictionalized account of her life. But when the novel goes missing, Bodour is forced on a journey of self discovery, reliving and reshaping her past and her future.

Will Bodour ever discover who stole the novel? Is there any hope of her being reunited with Zeina?

Nawal El Saadawi is an internationally renowned Egyptian writer, feminist, and psychiatrist. Her works have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Front Jacket

'A poignant and brave writer' Marie Claire

'Nawal El Saadawi is a formidable force in the international world of literature.' Philip Womack, New Humanist

Bodour, a distinguished literary critic, carries with her a dark secret. As a young university student, she fell in love with a political activist and gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, Zeina, whom she abandoned on the streets of Cairo.

Zeina grows up to become one of Egypt's most beloved entertainers, despite being deprived of a family name and a home. Bodour in turn remains trapped in a loveless marriage, pining for her daughter and lost love. In an attempt to find solace, she writes a fictionalised account of her life, which then mysteriously gets stolen.

Set against the backdrop of revolution in Cairo, Zeina is a tale about regret, loss and the courage it takes for a mother to face up to the mistakes of her past.