attytheresa's review
5.0
I did not want this story to end! This historical novel is about Cairo told over centuries: a synagogue, a legendary Torah, a family of Arab watchmen. It is told from three POV. Ali is the first Arab watchman, hired by the synagogue in Cairo over 1000 years ago. Margaret Smith Gilbert and Agnes Smith Lewis are widowed twin sisters, scholars, who in 1896 arrive in Cairo to rescue the Geniza (a library of old documents) of Ibn Ezra synagogue in Old Cairo. The third voice is Joseph or Yusuf, a half Jewish/half Arab American of Egyptian descent, set in the late 1990s. A common thread of all their stories is a legendary Torah- whether it existed and survived.
Many characters, such as the twin sisters, are actual historical figures, skillfully brought to life. Compelling storylines keep you reading long into the night while beautiful writing gives much to savor. And certain assumptions that suddenly are turned on their head at the end have left me thinking more deeply about this novel than I first expected. I learned a lot, but in a very enjoyable way!
I decided this was so good, I bumped a previous book out and slotted this into the prompt for a book featuring twins for 2018 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge. This needs to be part of that challenge! I also consider it my book for 2018 ATY #16. narrative non-fiction as most of it is based on true events and real people.
Many characters, such as the twin sisters, are actual historical figures, skillfully brought to life. Compelling storylines keep you reading long into the night while beautiful writing gives much to savor. And certain assumptions that suddenly are turned on their head at the end have left me thinking more deeply about this novel than I first expected. I learned a lot, but in a very enjoyable way!
I decided this was so good, I bumped a previous book out and slotted this into the prompt for a book featuring twins for 2018 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge. This needs to be part of that challenge! I also consider it my book for 2018 ATY #16. narrative non-fiction as most of it is based on true events and real people.
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