The Sand Fish by Maha Gargash

The Sand Fish by Maha Gargash

Seventeen-year-old Noora is not like the other women of the sun-battered mountains of the Arabian Peninsula in the 1950s. She shares their poverty and uncomplaining existence, but carries a fiery independence. With the death of her mother, her father sinks into a dazed madness. That's when her brother assumes responsibility and insists that she marry. Noora refuses, and flees to a nearby mountain village. While in hiding, she falls for the first man who's ever recognized her beauty and femininity, only to discover to her horror that he is already promised to another village daughter. Noora is shattered and returns home to find that her father has disappeared and that her brother has arranged her marriage. As she begins her new life by the sea, Noora remembers the sand fish, a desert lizard she had spotted in the mountains. In its panic at her intrusion, it did only what was natural: it dove into the rocks, again and again, till it bashed its snout. Just like the sand fish, she is stuck in the wrong place, struggling to escape. At night, she 'performs her duty' and during the day, she faces the increasing impatience of the first wife, and the jealously of the second wife. Her heart is full of fear that her inability to conceive might result in being thrown out of the house, with nowhere to go. She is miserable, until a brief, intense affair with her husband's apprentice finally leads to a pregnancy - and a secret - that she must guard with her life.

"Unadorned, poetic language, filled with well-integrated cultural detail.. [A] terrific choice for bookclub discussions... This may find appeal with fans of The Kite Runner." -- Booklist "Gargash weaves an enticing tale of a fiery, independent woman... Intimate, well-paced prose... An exciting, passion-filled read that illuminates an intriguing culture through the eyes and experience of a fiesty heroine." -- Publishers Weekly "A young woman's story opens a window into Dubai on the verge of modernity... Seaside and desert locales, along with the transitional time period, give a fresh twist to this standard tradition-versus-modernity plotline... Her setting is original." -- Kirkus Reviews "Gargash's poignant plot will appeal to diehard fans of world literature." -- Library Journal

Maha Gargash, an Emirati born in Dubai to a prominent business family, has studied in Washington, D.C., and London. With her degree in radio/television, she joined Dubai Television to pursue her interest in documentaries. Through directing her television programs, which deal mainly with traditional Arab societies, she became involved in research and scriptwriting. Her first novel, The Sand Fish, was an international bestseller.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780061744679
ISBN 10	0061744670
Title	The Sand Fish
Author	Maha Gargash
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Year published	2009-11-01
Number of pages	368
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable