Zahrat al-Bustan (The Garden Flower, Merit 2010), by Khaled Ismail, the most prodigious writer of his generation, shares its name with a famous cafe in downtown Cairo frequented by writers and intellectuals.
The novel is divided into two parts. The first takes place in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Sohag, the author’s hometown. The second part is set in Cairo where the novel’s protagonist works in the field of literary journalism.
The author of the novel delves deep into underlying worlds of Sohag and Cairo to paint a panoramic picture of an intricate web of Islamic groups, journalists, detectives and writers.
Here’s an excerpt from the novel:
“I sat at the Zahrat al-Bustan Cafe. I drank my tea, read the papers, and found myself alone in this crisis. My money is running out, and I don’t know where to stay for the night…I’m not sure how ready my friends are to host me. I hadn’t imagined I would be so confused. I thought that the minute I arrive in Cairo, I would find work, a home, reach glory and become a famous star. I’d find solutions to all my problems and forget the days of grinding poverty I lived back in the country.”
Book: Zahrat al-Bustan (The Garden Flower)
Author: Khaled Ismail
Publisher: Miret, Cairo, 2010
182 medium-size pages
