Zeina - Softcover

'Read this novel to grasp the bravery of El Saadawi's activism in Egypt or to learn more about her country than we saw on our TV screens this spring.' Guardian; 'An uncompromising attack on patriarchy, power and hypocrisy in modern-day Egypt.' The Times; `More than any other woman, El Saadawi has come to embody the trials of Arab feminism.' San Francisco Chronicle; `El Saadawi writes with directness and passion.' The New York Times; 'A poignant and brave writer.' Marie Claire; 'The latest from El Saadawi (Woman at Point Zero), seamlessly translated by Nowaira, will haunt readers with its beautiful prose and harsh depiction of women's lives in Cairo...The shifting time line will keep readers guessing as to what happens next, and what is real versus imagined.' Publishers Weekly; 'The mistakes of the past may not be such mistakes after all. Zeina tells of a famed Egyptian entertainer in the title, who finds her roots in being abandoned. Her lost mother grows to regret her decision to abandon her daughter. Years later as the revolution in Cairo begins to gain fire, the estranged mother and daughter may find what they've been looking for all this time. A tale of regret written by an Egyptian who understands the loss and challenge that the modern Egyptian faces...' The Mid West Book Review

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.