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Amazon.co.uk Review
Ahdaf Soueif's The Map of Love is a massive family saga, a story that draws its readers into two moments in the complex, and troubled, history of modern Egypt. The story begins in New York, in 1997: Isabel Parkman discovers an old trunk full of documents--some in English, some in Arabic--in her dying mother's apartment. Omar-al- Ghamrawi, a man with whom she is falling in love, directs her to his sister, Amal, in Cairo. Together the two women begin to uncover the stories embedded in the journal of Lady Anna Winterbourne (who travels to Egypt in 1900 and falls in love with Sharif Pasha al- Barudi, an Egyptian Nationalist) and the unsuspected connections between their own families. British colonialism, Egyptian nationalism, the clash of cultures in the Middle East in 1900 and the present day: the different narratives of The Map of Love weave a subtle, and reflective, tale of love across culture and conflict--the ways in which relations between individuals may (or may not) make the difference. "I am in an English autumn in 1897 and Anna's troubled heart lies open before me": Amal's response to Anna Winterbourne's journal could be a description of how to read this fascinating book, its invitation to use words as a means to travel through time, space and identity. --Vicky Lebeau
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Daily Telegraph
'A page-turning holiday read.'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you love books which transport you to another world (in this case, at least two different worlds in two different time periods), which give you fascinating insights into other cultures, which incorporate a good deal of history into an exciting and completely developed story line, and which introduce you to a main character so charming and intelligent that you hate to have her disappear at the end of the novel, you will be thoroughly captivated by Map of Love.
Anna Winterbourne, an aristocratic young widow from England, travels to Egypt in the late 19th century during the height of British Empire. She notes the condescension towards the Egyptians and is intelligently critical of military "adventures" there and in other Arab states such as the Sudan, South Africa, and Palestine. As she comes to know the Egyptian people and falls in love with an Egyptian, the reader--along with Anna's granddaughter and great-granddaughter, who are reading the letters and diaries which reveal her story--learns much about the past history which has so complicated presentday relations between western and Arab countries.
Like most romances, this one requires you to accept a very high level of coincidence, but that is more than offset by fine descriptive writing, fully drawn characters, and the placing of a great many recent Middle Eastern events into their Arab contexts. This Egyptian author succeeds in presenting events from an Arab point of view to a western audience--a view that is culturally honest without being polemical. Mary Whipple
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the second book that I have read by Ahdaf Soueif (following "In the Eye of the Sun") and I am astounded by the fact that one woman could write two such different novels in a space of a couple of years. This is a story spanning almost two hundred years of Egyptian history through a double time line. The concept is great, and although at first it may be confusing, the family tree provided and Ahdaf Soueif's superb writing abilities soon overcome this. I must confess that I knew little of the British occupation of Egypt (even though I am part English) and so, this book has contributed vastly to my education on world matters as well as my own country's history. I find the way she tackles subjects that are still under the spotlight in Egypt (aswell as the rest of the Arab world), such as feminism, the Palestinian/Israeli issue and even terrorism, commendable. Having visited the country recently, her concerns over these issues, are well voiced and still demanding - to various extents - to be solved. The human element of love and family simply serves to make the historical factor more realistic and poignent. Once again, a book that must be read by all; British, Egyptian or otherwise.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The book shows two snapshots of Egypt, at the start and the end of the 20th Century. There are many similar problems which Egypt faces but essentially, despite all the political manoeuvres the problems get worse.
The history was not well known to me, and with reading this book and English Passengers I have learnt far more about the dodgy british colonial past than any history lessons ever taught me.
But the book is much more than that. It brings together the two eras, with a wonderfull love story. To have a book with four heroines Anna , Isabel, Amal and Layla is a real treat. The writing does evoke the times and the places very well, you can feel the heat of the desert and the sand ( and that was not just because I was reading the book on Weymouth beach !)
Yes I will admit some of the politics, but mainly the number of arab names, lost me and I did not fully get the tapestry bit, but that does not make it any the less a great book and one I thoroughly enjoyed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
a book for women
Perhaps you shouldn't judge a book by its cover - the one pictured on amazon with this review gives a far fairer view of its contents than the one I started reading, seeming to... Read more
Published 29 days ago by Mr. Robert Marsland
Egyptian Passion
In her second novel, Soueif follows the increasingly popular technique of writing in 'two times', with sections in the past (in her case 19th-century Egypt) and the present. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Kate Hopkins
It never got going
I belong to a Book Club and "The Map of Love" was the latest book we were reading. I started out full of hope, but found it far too wordy - I just couldn't get on with the style... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mrs. B. D. Hollidge
Rubbish
This book was given to someone I know as a gift, and the giver is someone I admire for her intelligence, so when I had the opportunity to read this, I had high hopes. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Bits-N-Bobs
Great read historical and romantic
This is a great read which provides a interesting insight into early and late 20th century Egypt through the eyes of upper class Egyptian nationals. Read more
Published 11 months ago by rr
Topical, to say the least...
... as in today's headlines: Egypt, and the popular uprisings in the Arab World. I first became acquainted with Ahdaf Soueif's work when I attended a presentation she gave, along... Read more
Published 13 months ago by John P. Jones III
History and romance bound together
This was quite a weighty read and the first time I read it, 8 years ago, I only gave it 1.5 stars. Having recently re-read it for a book group, I got far more out of it,... Read more
Published 14 months ago by DubaiReader
my favorite novel
This book is beautifully written and tells a tale interwoven with the theme of love and politics. It is my favorite novel.
Published 18 months ago by Julia
A glimpse of Middle Eastern issues
It was certainly useful to be able to refer to the family tree and occasionally I had to remind myself who was 'talking' as this family story switched between time periods. Read more
Published 19 months ago by J. A. West
OK if your looking for a history lesson
Well this book was very confusing but as the Daily Telegraph promised a vivid and passionate love story I kept going. Read more
Published on 1 Feb 2010 by Debbie
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