An epic, multi-perspective debut novel bringing the streets of Cairo to life.
Sherif 'Sheero' Abdallah is an NYU student revelling in independence, free from the judgemental gaze of his conservative family in Egypt to indulge in all sorts of pleasures. When the FBI comes knocking on his door, he's convinced it's a case of mistaken identity - until they show him a picture of his cousin Amir. Amir has perpetrated a horrific attack and Sheero is suddenly forced to return to Cairo and confront the events that led to their wildly different circumstances.
While Amir wore Sheero's hand-me-downs and suffered at the hands of neglectful, abusive parents, Sheero attended Cairo's most prestigious high school, where he and his best friend Taymour, the son of one of Cairo's business moguls, could enjoy sports clubs, beach vacations, high-end dining, and socialising with girls from the French and British schools. Once inseparable cousins, Sheero and Amir grew further apart, Amir ultimately having more in common with the children of Taymour's housekeeper: Omar, Mustafa, and Zeina.
In Cairo Circles, the lives of this unforgettable group of six young Egyptians intertwine dramatically over the course of over a decade, revealing complex relationships dominated by faith, tradition, social class, and the boundaries of personal freedom. An epic, multi-perspective page-turner, Doma Mahmoud's debut introduces readers to a bold and inventive new voice in fiction as Cairo's streets burst to life on the page.
'Cairo Circles is a novel that proves literature needn't choose between pleasure and substance. You will tear through the pages of this delicious book, and you will be changed in the process. Doma Mahmoud is a tremendous writer.' - Jonathan Safran Foer
Industry Reviews
"Mahmoud explores the complexities of life in contemporary Cairo through the aftermath of the 2011 revolution... his characters are well developed, and his grasp of recent history is firm and illuminating." -Publishers Weekly
"[An] Enthralling debut... Mahmoud explores the intricacies of Cairo's social dynamics and how powerful family relations, societal judgment, and class can be despite physical and socioeconomic distance. His dynamic storytelling will keep readers engaged throughout." -Booklist
"When this book hits its stride, it does so with great power. This novel's complex web of relationships makes for an ambitious literary debut." -Kirkus Reviews
"Interconnected Egyptian families wrestle with how status and religion influence their lives in this stunning debut. As the sons of their twin mothers, Amir and Sheero have a close, if complicated, cousin relationship. In a parallel story, Omar and Mustafa are twin brothers who couldn't be more different. This novel explores the cultural fabric of Cairo alongside the deep influences of economic class and what people will do to both change and maintain their positions. Cairo Circles is both beautifully textured and emotionally charged." -BuzzFeed
