From the author of the New York Times Notable Book, The Translator: a novel of the "rich and complex world of a Sudanese patriarch in the 1950s" (Sarah Blake, author of The Postmistress).

Lyrics Alley is the evocative story of an affluent Sudanese family shaken by the shifting powers in their country and the near-tragedy that threatens the legacy they've built for decades.

In 1950s Sudan, the powerful Abuzeid dynasty has amassed a fortune through their trading firm. With Mahmoud Bey at its helm, they can do no wrong. But when Mahmoud's son, Nur, the brilliant, handsome heir to the business empire, suffers a debilitating accident, the family stands divided in the face of an uncertain future. As British rule nears its end, the country is torn between modernizing influences and the call of traditions past -- a conflict reflected in the growing tensions between Mahmoud's two wives: the younger, Nabilah, longs to return to Egypt and escape "backward-looking" Sudan; while Waheeba lives traditionally behind veils and closed doors. It's not until Nur asserts himself outside the cultural limits of his parents that his own spirit and the frayed bonds of his family begin to mend.

Moving from Sudanese alleys to cosmopolitan Cairo and a decimated postcolonial Britain, this sweeping tale of desire, loss, despair, and reconciliation is one of the most accomplished portraits ever written about Sudanese society at the time of independence.

"Highly recommended for readers who enjoy family sagas set against a political backdrop, such as Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half a Yellow Sun." -- Library Journal, starred review

• We started tracking this book on May 15, 2011.
• This book was $9.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 148 times in the past 5,187 days.
• The current price of this book is $9.99 last checked 6 hours ago.
• This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past 90 days is $2.99.
• This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past year is $1.99.
• The lowest price to date was $1.99 last reached on May 12, 2024.
• This book has been $1.99 47 times since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $14.99 last reached on May 12, 2018.
• This book has been $14.99 one time since we started tracking it.

• Literature & FictionLiterary FictionBritish & Irish
• Literature & FictionGenre FictionPolitical
• Literature & FictionLiterary FictionHistorical
• Literature & FictionContemporary FictionLiterary

• Publication Date: March 1, 2011
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 324 Pages
• File Size: 39 KB