One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. – William Shakespeare Flowers in Morocco
This past year, like the quote above, made the whole world kin in terms of our common experience of hardship. In the United States, the pandemic period has included movement toward and away from inclusivity of diversity. As the number of vaccines increases and public locations begin opening again, I revisit two examples of spring festivals in the MENA region.
I recommend anything by Ahmed Salah Al-Mahdi, a bright new talent in the Arab World. His books provide great suspense, enchanting world building, satisfying storylines, and compelling characters.See here for his website, and here and here for two interviews with him.
His first book available in English is Reem: Into the Unknown. Review available here. Also available in Arabic wherever you get your books (including ebook at Kotobi, paperback at Neelwafurat, and Audiobook at Storytel).
