Zanouba

Download or read book Zanouba written by Out el Kouloub and published by Syracuse University Press. This book was released on 1996-12-01 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Out el Kouloub (1892-1968) is an author whose voice is just becoming heard in the United States. A member of the Muslim aristocracy in Egypt, she wrote unforgettable novels, mostly about Egyptian women of varying social classes and about family life in a traditional society. Like most members of the aristocracy, she wrote in French. In Zanouba, the reader is treated to vivid scenes of Egyptian middle-class life, starting in the 1900s. Abundant in traditional poems, songs, sayings, and rituals, the story of Zanouba enhances our understanding of certain deeply seated aspects of Egyptian life: the practices—including elaborate rituals—involved in guaranteeing the birth of a son; the jealousy and anger of the barren wife. Out el Kouloub's lush documentation bridges past and present while telling a tale that is both believable and touching.