I don’t know if you have read any books written in English by Arab authors. Some of them are really fantastic, specifically if you feel more comfortable with the English language than you do with the Arabic one. My favorite Arab author who writes in English is the Egyptian Ahdaf Souief. I think she is absolutely fantastic. She is very well educated and her writing style makes it feel as if you can actually hear the Arabic being spoken. Of course this can only happen if you actually speak Arabic, but I do recommend that non-Arabs read “In the Eye of the Sun” if they would like some insight into the life of a liberated Arab woman. Her main character is called Asya Al-Ulama, and while I am not claiming that Asya is perfect, this book really delves into many of the problems and issues that Arab women from open minded families face. Asya does make mistakes which is why I feel this character is so alive! Souief really developed her character wonderfully. I have read the book no less than 5 times and every time feels different. The only criticism I do have is that the ending left a lot of things unwrapped, or unfinished. I guess I would have just liked to see everything end happily ever after, but maybe this is also part of how grown up and realistic the book is. The book explores complex relationships between Asya and her husband. It also is nicely integrated with the time that the book was set in, with Souief smoothly putting in enough history for the reader to get context, but not so much so that the reader gets bored. I certainly give this book 5 stars, and if anyone has read it or will read it in the future, please let me know how you felt about it.