Lyrics Alley

Leila Aboulela author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Orion Publishing Co

Published:2nd Feb '12

£9.99

Available to order, but very limited on stock - if we have issues obtaining a copy, we will let you know.

Lyrics Alley cover

A lyrical and moving novel by a twice ORANGE-listed rising star, set in 1950s Sudan and Egypt.

A lyrical and moving novel by a three-times ORANGE-listed rising star, set in 1950s Sudan and Egypt.

Longlisted for the Orange Prize 2011

'Haunting' Telegraph
'A story for all the senses' Aminatta Forna
'A superb family epic . . . vivid, beautifully original' The Herald

Set in 1950s Sudan, Lyrics Alley is the story of the powerful and sprawling Abuzeid dynasty. With Mahmoud Bey at its helm, the family can do no wrong. But when Mahmoud's son, Nur - the brilliant, charming heir to his business empire - suffers a near-fatal accident, his hopes of university and a glittering future are dashed. Subsequently, his betrothal to his cousin and sweetheart, Soraya is broken off.

As British rule is coming to an end, and the country is torn between modernising influences and the call of traditions past, the family is divided. Mahmoud's second wife, Nabilah, longs to return to Egypt and leave behind the dust of 'backward-looking' Sudan. His first wife, Waheeba, is confined to her open-air kitchen and resents Nabilah's influence on Mahmoud. Meanwhile, Nur must find a way to live again in the world and find peace. Moving from the villages of Sudan to cosmopolitan Cairo and a decimated post-colonial Britain, this is a sweeping tale of love, loss, faith and reconciliation.

A sophisticated and emotionally resonant tale. * SUNDAY HERALD *
Leila Aboulel's delightful novel explores the relationship between the personal and the political in a time of upheaval * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *

  • Winner of Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Fiction Award 2011 (UK)
  • Short-listed for Commonwealth Writers' Prize Best Book 2011 (UK)
  • Long-listed for IMPAC Dublin Literary Award 2012 (UK)
  • Long-listed for Orange Price for Fiction 2011 (UK)

ISBN: 9780753828113

Dimensions: 196mm x 128mm x 24mm

Weight: 267g

336 pages