Radwa Ashour Book order

Set in 1492, the narrative unfolds in Granada as the last Muslim stronghold in Spain falls to Christian rule, leading to the destruction of Islamic culture. Abu Jaafar, a bookseller, attempts to preserve his library while preparing for his granddaughter Saleema's marriage. The story chronicles the struggles of his family and community against forced conversions and expulsions, highlighting their efforts to maintain their identity amidst oppression. Radwa Ashour's trilogy poignantly captures the resilience and hope of those who remained in Andalusia during this tumultuous period.

"A memoir of Egyptian-American activist and writer Radwa Ashour's years as a graduate student in the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of African American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst"-- Provided by publisher

A powerful human story, following the life of a young girl from her days in the village of al-Tantoura in Palestine to the mature observations of an adult woman.

Winner of the Cairo International Book Fair Prize. Specters tells the story of Radwa and Shagar, two women born the same day. The narrative alternates between their childhoods, their work lives (one a professor of literature and the other of history), their married and unmarried lives, and their respective books. With her novel’s structure, Ashour pays tribute to the Arab qareen (double or companion, and sometimes demon) and the ancient Egyptian ka (the spirit that is born with and accompanies an individual through life and beyond).

Amina, a baker in sultan's palace, awaits her son's return from a voyage at sea, fearful that the sea has claimed Said. Said begins to make his way home witnessing British colonial oppression along the way. When Said returns and learns the island's slave population is planning a revolt against sultan's tyrannical rule, he and Amina are drawn in.

A novel of life in the mixed culture that existed in Southern Spain before the expulsion of Arabs and Jews, following the life of Abu Jaafar, the bookbinder, and his family as they witness Christopher Columbus' triumphant parade through the streets.