A review by rmnedder
Women of Sand and Myrrh by Hanan Al-Shaykh

emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I was very excited to revisit Hanan al-Shaykh with Women of Sand and Myrrh, which follows four women in an unnamed desert state and provides us with vignettes of their lives and their relationships to the desert. Each of these four women has their own distinct narrative style, and while their stories technically stand on their own, they all subtly intertwine. I found all of the women to be interesting, but I particularly enjoyed Tamr's story. I think some of the writing felt very clunky at times, but I think that is probably a fault of the translation, rather than of al-Shaykh's prose.

It's important to note that the English translation of this work was very heavily altered. Not only was the title changed, the order of the chapters were completely rearranged. I truly think I would have enjoyed this book more if I had the chance to read it as it was intended to be read, without the integrity and impact of the story being flattened and exoticised in translation. 

All this being said, Edward Said was right when he said that this is a book that "Western feminists should read." 
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