A piece of Europe

In this novel I am the observer. This name is not what my parents chose for me, nor is it my nickname that people call me by. I am the observer because my task is to observe, to convey through my story what I have looked at with the eye and the heart, that is, what I have seen with sight and insight. I am the observer, my perspective is the hill of my life, I stand upon it as a supervisor and guardian, waiting, considering, and presenting evidence of love; because looking in the language of Arabs is a sign of love, and abandoning looking is a sign of turning away, hatred, or dislike. In its captivating language, Radhwa Ashour weaves history with storytelling, making the place the hero of the story first, and trying to weave the events so that we see history as ongoing and interconnected, not separate chapters with decisive beginnings and endings as we learned in schools. As you read this book, you will find yourself confused about its classification, as it is a mixture of novel and history that does not follow a chronological order. It can be considered a documentary novel that re-reads history to reach better conclusions about our identity and different perceptions of our future.