Publisher's Synopsis
This novel is an allegorical fable about the history of Egypt. The story follows Mariam, a perceptive and intellectually refined young woman who resides in a grand apartment building-an enduring relic of a bygone era. Over a century ago, this stately residence was constructed by Ramses Bey, the patriarch of the El-Massry family. A prosperous confectioner who built his fortune through sugar and wine, to immortalize his success, he erected a home of unparalleled beauty, a symbol of his family's prestige and the envy of the entire neighborhood.
Each of his children and their families were granted a floor within the grand residence, and for many years, it stood as a testament to the family's legacy. Yet, as fortune waned and the once-thriving business began to decline, necessity compelled them to rent out portions of the building. The first tenants-a Greek family-were followed by a Roman, then a Turk, the latter leasing the entire first floor. His presence disrupted the delicate order of the household, as he imposed his will upon the family, refusing to let anyone glimpse his three wives. Removing him proved impossible until a young police officer, Mohannad El-Mohammadi, intervened. His assistance was rewarded with an apartment in the building, granting him an escape from the dilapidated district he once called home.
The novel's narrative is set into motion with the death of Najib, the last of Ramses Bey's direct descendants, whose passing plunges the family into mourning. Here, we are introduced to Mariam, the delicate bridge between the grieving adults and the children, who remain untouched by the gravity of death.
In the wake of Najib's passing, Mohannad orchestrates the arrival of his two brothers, Mansour and Mounzer, securing for them the entirety of the first floor-a move that, unbeknownst to the El-Massry family, is part of a greater design set forth by their spiritual guide, Sheikh Hassan. Soon after, Mohannad seeks the hand of Mariam, the treasured jewel of the El-Massry lineage. She resists at first, but through a relentless campaign of coercion and intimidation, the family is forced into submission.
From this moment, a clash of cultures ensues. One world, veiled in secrecy, demands the erasure of women from sight, while the other embraces openness and intellectual engagement. Mariam, ever the custodian of knowledge, recites to the children stories drawn from the ancient epics of Greek, Egyptian, and English literature. But her literary gatherings become a source of unease-too extravagant, too dangerous-for the impressionable young Mounzer. Sheikh Hassan seizes the moment, installing himself within the building alongside his two wives, gradually asserting his dominion over the once-proud El-Massry household.
A quiet rebellion stirs as love defies imposed boundaries. Mounzer falls for Hala, while Sheikh Hassan's daughter, Zeinab, gives her heart to Hala's brother, Thabit. Yet, where one union is sanctified by the Sheikh, the other is condemned as heresy, plunging the family into a turmoil that seems impossible to reconcile.
The final and most fateful conflict erupts when Sheikh Hassan, emboldened by his power, demands that Mohannad divorce Mariam, so that the Sheikh himself may claim her. His wives, barren, have failed to provide him a son, and he believes Mariam alone may grant him the male heir he so desperately desires. But Mohannad refuses, and the discord culminates in an attempt on his life.
In the novel's searing conclusion, the women of the building, led by the indomitable Mariam, rise in defiance. They rebel against the men whose blind struggles have shattered the very essence of their home-once an edifice of pride, now a hollowed ruin. In the streets below, the neighborhood no longer gazes upon the building with admiration, but with quiet resignation for what has been lost.
