Madam Fathiya

About this book

Madam Fathiya follows Egyptian families through a period of major social change in the middle of the twentieth century. Everyday responsibilities, love and ambition are placed beside the constraints of custom and economic circumstance. Through carefully observed characters and domestic detail, Alaa Saad Hamida explores private conflict, endurance and the sacrifices that hold families together. The novel belongs to a tradition of social realism grounded in emotional honesty and close attention to its historical setting.