Saraya, the Ogre's Daughter: A Palestinian Fairy Tale

Fiction. Middle Eastern Studies. Translated from the Arabic by Peter Theroux. This hypnotically lyrical last novel by the leading Palestinian prose writer of the twentieth century is equal parts allegory, folk tale, memoir, political commentary, and ode to a ruined landscape. Rendered for the first time ever in English by one of the leading translators of contemporary Arabic literature, it is a haunting tour de force-essential reading for anyone interested in the imaginative life of the Middle East. "In Arabic, Habiby has had no precursors and has had no successors.... Acknowledging his debt to Voltaire and Swift, he has proven inimitable." -Middle East Magazine.