The black cat tavern

You chose your path yourself, Mary Moon, so go under the protection of the gods. Your ancestors went to war, or politics, or trade, but you seek the truth, each according to his ambition. But beware of provoking a person of authority or mocking someone fallen into forgetfulness. Be like history, opening its ears to every speaker and not siding with anyone, then presenting the shining truth as a gift to the contemplators. Naguib Mahfouz takes us on a journey to ancient Egyptian history, which has remained his beloved passion across the ages of Egyptian history. He tells us about Amenhotep IV, one of the Eighteenth Dynasty kings known as Akhenaten, and his religious revolution for monotheism, worship of the one god Aten, his struggle with the priests of Amun, and about his mother Queen Tiy, who supported her son to limit the priests' dominance and their authority. The novel begins with Mary Moon, the young man seeking the truth and passionate about reaching it. He asks his father to facilitate his mission to search for the truth of this kingship, about which opinions differ between supporters and opponents. Mary Moon starts to learn the story from different perspectives to live the truth. With his exceptional genius, his detailed narration, and precise description in this novel, Mahfouz was able to transport you to its time as if you see its characters embodied before your eyes.