If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Noor Naga
An Egyptian American girl returns to Ciaro post-revolutionary and falls in love with a boy from the village of Shobrakheit. They meet in a Cafe in Cairo and fall in love.
What did I just read? Is this a memoir, an interview, creative non-fiction (essay) or fiction? Who is narrating the story? These were the questions on my mind when I finished reading this book.
I am not sure what I had anticipated from this book, but believe me when I say that it exceeded all of my expectations.
An Egyptian American girl returns to Ciaro post-revolutionary and falls in love with a boy from the village of Shobrakheit. They meet in a Cafe in Cairo. This village boy is a photographer from the revolution and is currently unemployed and a cocaine addict. She on the other hand is an English teacher and has returned to Cairo to connect with the roots of her of her immigrant parents. Soon, they move in together and the love and desire evaporate replaced with violence and anger.
Let me start with Naga’s writing. Wait! This is a debut! The writing was captivating, interesting, and poetic. I enjoyed Naga’s representation of Egyptian people and places; it gave me an overview of the country’s people, culture, politics and food, particularly as seen through the eyes of a girl who spent her entire life in America. Naga's critical assessment of the Egyptian people and culture is what caught my attention. The book is divided into three parts with alternating POVs. Each part has a unique storytelling.
I still cannot place this book under a genre simply because it has a bit of everything. Let me start with the romance. Naga started a strong and intense, slow and steady romance between the Egyptian American girl and the boy from Shobraheit. I was very happy when their paths crossed but I was sad and devastated how things ended between the lovers. Then the love turns abusive and things start getting dark. If the American girl did not speak Arabic and the boy from Shobrakheit did not speak English so how did the relationship get on its two feet? The relationship is bound to fail right from the start because of the difference in backgrounds, class differences and power dynamics.
One thing that stood out to me is how the book allows the reader to question or reflect. The questions are centred on politics, culture, identity and class. The book is full of questions that are answered but some are not answered.
I will remember this book for a very long time because of its exceptional writing. The book's depth makes me think of works by authors like Caleb Azumah Nelson's "Open Water" and Ocean Voung's "On Earth We are Briefly Gorgeous."
