Country of Origin

Azim’s evocative debut opens with Egypt on the brink of revolution in 1952, as seen through the eyes of an Egyptian girl. Halah Ibrahim’s father, Mansoor, is a general consumed with politics, and while he chases power and influence, Halah is pulled from school and left at home with her mother and their housemaid, Reema. General Ibrahim’s clandestine gatherings with members of a military faction are Halah’s sole exposure to the outside world. When Halah chafes at the prospect of an arranged marriage at 17, she runs away with Khalil Seif, a soldier who has landed a scholarship in America. This irreparably damages her relationship with her family, and Halah later wonders if it prompted her father to arrest and imprison Khalil’s brother, Hassan. In 1955, Halah has a daughter, Amena, and tries to make amends with her father. But during a visit to Egypt a couple years later, Halah goes missing and never returns. Her family is left to discover what became of her, and the novel diverges into Khalil, Hassan, and Amena’s perspectives, allowing Azim to gradually reveal hidden layers of the story, enriching her characters and illuminating the heart of a country and people. The result is insightful and nuanced. (Apr.)