Considered by many to be Naguib Mahfouz's best novel, Midaq Alley

brings to life the residents of one of the hustling, teeming back alleys of Cairo in the 1940s. From Zaita the cripple-maker to Kirsha the cafe owner with a taste for young boys and hashish, from Abbas the barber who mistakes greed for love to Hamida who sells her soul to escape the alley, these characters vividly evoke the sights, sounds, and smells of Egypt's largest city. Long after one finishes reading, the smell of fresh bread lingers, as does the image of the men gathering at the cafe for their nightly ritual. Never has Nobel Prize-winner Mahfouz's talent for rich and luxurious storytelling been more evident than in Midaq Alley.

From the Trade Paperback edition.