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 saw with sight and insight. I am the observer, and my perspective is the hill of my life, on which I stand as a watcher and guardian, waiting, considering, and presenting evidence of love; because looking in the language of Arabs is a sign of love, and refraining from looking is a sign of distraction, dislike, or hatred. With its captivating language, Radhwa Ashour weaves history into story, making the place the hero of the novel first, and tries to weave the events so that we see that history is continuous and interconnected, not separate chapters with decisive beginnings and ends as we learned in schools. As you read this book, you will find yourself confused in 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 visions of our future. Book information: • Author: Radhwa Ashour • Year of publication: 2003 • Publisher: Dar Al-Shorouk • Number of pages: 234