Description
Book SynopsisSet in late nineteenth-century Benghazi, Najwa Bin Shatwan's powerful novel tells the story of Atiqa, the daughter of a slave woman and her white master. Shortlisted for the 2017 International Prize for Arabic Ficiton, Bin Shatwan's unforgettable novel offers a window into a dark chapter of Libyan history.
Trade ReviewA challenging, powerful story of people trying to survive through some of life's harshest conditions. It captures a time and place with nuance and care. Explores questions of race, class, and freedom. This is a novel that showcases lives of extreme poverty and lavish wealth, and explores the ways in which its setting—Libya in the nineteenth century—was a particularly fraught time for women. An amazingly rich and fascinating novel. The translation is excellent: simple, accessible, and graceful. This beautifully written novel is a milestone because an Arab woman writer dared to investigate, describe, and expose two slaveries: that of slaves and that of women.
The Slave Yards penetrates the soul and lives deep down in the heart. A richly-layered story with several subplots--each interesting in its own right.
