An enchanted ring brings good fortune to an Egyptian oud player in this compelling novel combining elements of magical realism with political history
Can one man or a mere ring alter the events of one's life and the history of a country? Combining elements of magical realism with momentous history, Suleiman's Ring poses these questions and more in a gripping tale of friendship, identity, and the fate of a nation.
"A quality novel, which put me in mind of aspects of Rohinton Mistry and Naguib Mahfouz in the way it gives us characters to care about, who are then swept away by the chaos of history. The writing is pacy, but it has depth and poetic power - a credit to Raymond Stock's translation from Arabic. Sherif Meleka is a natural writer. This is a compellingly readable novel of substance."-The Irish Times
"[A] dazzling epic novel. . . . poetic and beautiful. . . . deeply moving. . . . Suleiman's Ring is a timely read, not just for its powerful depiction of Jews in modern Egypt, but for its exploration of themes of nationhood, societal divisions--both along political and identity lines--and the influence that individuals can have on an entire society."--The Canadian Jewish News