About this title: A finely detailed literary mystery set in contemporary Saudi Arabia, Ferraris's debut centers on Nouf ash-Shrawi, a 16-year-old girl who disappears into the desert three days before her marriage and is later found dead and several weeks pregnant.
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Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Date Published: 2008
ISBN-13:9780618873883ISBN:0618873880
Description: Good. Used item may show library stamps, stickers and marks. Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Description: Very Good. Former Library book. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Acceptable. Former Library book. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. 0618873880 ** Ex-Library book with related stickers and stampings. Clean text and good binding. Hawaii and Alaska residents are asked to use pri or ity shipping. read more
Description: Fine. 0547237782 NEVER USED! . There are no highlights, No pen marks, No missing pages. The binding is sturdy. THIS HAS SLIGHT SHELF WEAR, SUCH AS CREASES. Upgraded shipping on orders over $49.99. Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed! read more
Description: Very Good. 0547237782 Paperback, Condition: Very Good; this book is in very good condition with light curve to the spine / light reading creases to the covers. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Date Published: 6/20/2008
ISBN-13:9780618873883ISBN:0618873880
Description: New. 0618873880 May show signs of shelf wear. Choose EXPEDITED shipping, receive in 2-5 business days. Please email with questions. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Date Published: 2008-06-20
ISBN-13:9780618873883ISBN:0618873880
Description: Very Good in Like New jacket. Ex-library has clear mylar cover and usual library markings. Pages are clean and in excellent condition. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Date Published: 2008-06-20
ISBN-13:9780618873883ISBN:0618873880
Description: Very Good in Like New jacket. Ex-library has clear mylar cover and usual library markings. Pages are clean and in excellent condition. read more
"I tend to be careful with 'insider looks' at a religion or activity from someone who isn't actually ON the inside or is a disaffected or former member. They tend to be pretty skewed. (I am not Muslim, either, just so you know.) This author is not Muslim, was married to a Muslim for 2 years who was not devout - obviously, since he married an 'infidel'- , and spent less than a year in Saudi Arabia. HOWEVER, she does have the experience of meeting and befriending some Muslims who expressed their frustration with the gender segregation required by the religion. The author tried to show this frustration in her protangonist's life, but, honestly, her writing about Nayir's embarrassment and almost crippling modesty around women became old very fast. Who knows, maybe that is what she intended as a way to show the strange contradiction of a man wanting and needing to marry but unable to communicate with, or even look at, a woman who is not his wife or sister or mother. But, either you beleive or you don't, so quit whining and do soemthing about it.
Her portrayal of the rich and devout was strongly tinged with cynicism. This seems very common when someone who is not rich or devout in any religious belief writes about others who are.
The mystery is okay. The setting is interesting - taken with a grain of salt, or maybe I should say sand. Nayir is a likable character, especially after you get through about the first third of the story. Most of the other characters are likable in their way. The unfolding of the facts of the murder was satisfying enough."
"A mystery set in Saudi Arabia. Nayir al-Sharqi is asked by his friend and associate Othman to investigate the disappearance, and later the death, of his younger sister Nouf. The case seems puzzling to Nayir, a conservative, even shy man. Why would Nouf run off? She was engaged to be married and seemed happy. But as he works with Katya, who works in the coroner's office, he slowly uncovers the secrets of Nouf's life, and the lives of her family. He also begins to understand the severe divisions and confining rules that women live under. The story alternates between Nayir and Katya. Some of the leaps in the discoveries I found a bit confusing but I liked the pace the story took, so we get a chance to meet and understand the main characters. I do wonder if we will meet Nayir and Katya again in future stories; the ending left that possibility open."
"This is a mystery that takes place in Saudi Arabia. Nayir, a poor religious desert guide, is hired by his friend Othman to determine how his 16 year old sister - Nouf- could have drowned in the desert. While he is comfortable interviewing the male members of this rich household, Nayir would never consider entering the cloistered female side of the house. Meanwhile, he discovers that Othman's fiancé - Katya - is a lab technician in the women's side of the coroner's office. Othman has asked for her help as well. In her position as fiancé, Katya is able to freely converse with the female householders. She is also secretly matching DNA and testing Nouf's tissue samples without drawing her boss's attention to her investigation. Nayir and Katya reluctantly combine forces and reveal the surprising truth. It is a really interesting look at a closed society. This book is also available as an audio book."
"If I could give this 2 and a half stars, that's what it would receive. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. It's a story about a 16 year old Saudi Arabian girl who goes missing and is found dead, the rest of the book deals with solving the reason behind her disappearance and also paints a picture of the underlying oppression felt by the women in that society. I think my biggest problem with the book is that it just felt way too verbose for such a small story. I realized by the end of the book I had a great picture of all of the characters and their surroundings, but felt absolutely no emotional attachment to any of them. The mystery part of the book seemed rushed and stretched by the end as well. What I did find refreshing is that the author seemed to neither outright condemn nor condone this society of extreme modesty and oppression, but rather just seemed to say "the original intention was good, the current system is flawed, it is what it is." I also loved the fact that the main character Nayir, was just a man who was trying to live his life in accordance with his beliefs as best as he could."
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