The Green Bicycle

I’m just wrapping up a late summer group read of:

The Green Bicycle

By Haifaa Al Mansour

This is a light, fun read if you enjoy YA literature and you have any interest in what it would be like to grow up in Saudi Arabia. The text flows easily, and the main character is a misfit, intelligent and critical of what goes on around her. In that sense, it reminds me of books like Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow (From the perspective of an Algerian-French girl, translated from French – By the way, this book is still on my to-read list – Anyone want to read it with me? In French perhaps??)

The Green Bicycle has been a great summer read, raising questions about social priorities and the freedom to dream outside the box.

Our group has had a great discussion about growing up, religion, and hypocrisy and injustice in religious institutions.

There’s an interesting interview on YT with Haifaa Al Mansour. It seems that she wrote and directed the film, Wadjda (2012), first. Then she wrote this novel, which follows the same story arc, but in a different form. I have seen the film, and can recommend it. Both the book and film could be used for teaching in classrooms from middle school through university.

Coming up in September: Vertigo by Ahmed Mourad – I’m looking forward to translator Robin Moger’s contributions to the discussion (and to Marcia Lynx Qualey moderating). I’ll also have an Arabic discussion on Skype – contact me if you’re interested!

To see all our group reads for 2018, check out the MENA Lit group page or my own calendar.

*Photos from Goodreads