“Lyrics Alley” by Leila Aboulela (Sudan)

Book Club Favourite of Season 21

Review

Readers enjoyed this well-told story, finding it engaging and easy to read. They felt it was more of a love story than a political novel as the historical setting remains mostly in the background. Readers liked the style of writing and said it played a large part in their enjoyment of the book. They warmed to all the characters, even the not-so-nice ones! Soraya was by far everyone’s favourite. Most readers appreciated the five different narratives as it allowed them alternative points of view and helped the plot unfold episodically. However, one reader would have preferred a more in-depth narrative from a single protagonist rather than the changing perspectives. Readers liked the pace of the novel and agreed that the most shocking moment was the circumcision of the two girls. Overall, it averaged an 8.3 out of 10.

Synopsis

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.

Favourite Quote

Everything happens for a reason. But Badr was an educated man and knew that coincidence existed too, randomness was created. It was one of the laws of the universe. Imagination existed, too.

Nicola’s Book Club reading list

Season 21 (Oct 2017 – Mar 2018)
“Embers” by Sandor Marai (Hungary)
“Human Acts” by Han Kang (South Korea)
“Into the Beautiful North” by Luis Alberto Urrea (Mexico)
“Lyrics Alley” by Leila Aboulela (Sudan) *
“Shantytown” by César Aira (Argentina)

Extra book:
“Behold the Dreamers” by Imbolo Mbue (Cameroon)

* The book club favourite
In italics, Nicola’s Coup de Cœur