Books Set in the Middle East

by Khaled Hosseini

Setting: AFGHANISTAN

Author Khalid Hosseini is most known for his best-selling novel, The Kite Runner, which would also be a great pick this month. However, we choose one of his other works, A Thousand Splendid Suns, for the list because it spans the last three decades in Afghanistan, from the Soviet invasion, the Taliban's reign, to post-Taliban rebuilding. 

The emotional book follows two generations of brave women, Mariam and Laila, brought together by war. It explores the universal desires of finding happiness and raising families, even when tragic circumstances are happening all around you. It does a beautiful job of humanizing the real people living in a country that has undergone dramatic changes in lifestyle due to the changing government. So grab the tissues and prepare for tears, horror, and a sprinkling of hope. 

AUTHOR BIO: Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, and moved to the United States in 1980. Hosseini is also a U.S. Goodwill Envoy to the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the founder of The Khaled Hosseini Foundation, a nonprofit that provides humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.

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By Ava Homa
Setting: KURDISH REGION OF IRAN

The main character Leila is a young Kurdish woman living in Iran. She dreams of telling the untold stories of her people, the 40 million stateless Kurds, via filmmaking. Her younger brother, Chia, pursues activism differently, and his involvement in politics and social justice has been growing. Then, one day, he disappears from Tehran.

Leila fears the worst and makes it her mission to save him. However, her attempts at finding him begin to endanger her own life. Throughout this fictional modern-day story, you'll find yourself immersed in the everyday life of the Kurds while learning about Kurdish history from the 1970s to the present.

Author Bio: This is the first novel published in English by a female Kurdish writer. Ava Homa has a Master's Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Windsor in Canada, another in English Language and Literature from Tehran, Iran, and a diploma in editing from Toronto. She is a Kurdish writer, journalist, and activist who has given speeches on writing as resistance, human rights, gender equality, Kurdish affairs, media literacy, and other topics.

by Nadia Hashimi

Setting: AFGHANISTAN

At the beginning of this novel, written by an Afghan author, ten-year-old Sitara has a great life. It's 1978, and Sitara's father has an important job as the right-hand man of the country's progressive President, Sardar Daoud.

Her privileged world is shattered when she's the lone survivor of her family after a coup. After being smuggled out of the palace, Sitara finds safety with an American diplomat, who later adopts her. 

Thirty years later, she's become a successful surgeon in America. However, her past comes racing back when she sees a new elderly patient, Shair, who was the soldier that saved her during the coup. However, Shair may have also been responsible for the deaths of her family. Her desire for past answers is rekindled after decades of a successful life. 

NOTE: Only the first half of Sparks Like Stars is set in Afghanistan, but we thought it was worth including as a dramatically different look at the country from before the Soviet invasion. The author has also written three other well-rated books set in Afghanistan - The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, House Without Windows, and When the Moon is Low.

AUTHOR BIO: Nadia Hashimi is a first-generation American of Afghani parents. In addition to traveling to Afghanistan with her parents, she serves on the boards of organizations committed to educating and nurturing Afghanistan's most vulnerable children and empowering the female leaders of tomorrow. She is also a member of the US-Afghan Women's Council.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Marjan Kamali

Setting: IRAN

From the author of The Stationery Shop (also set partially in Iran), Together Tea is a novel about family and love. Darya decides her daughter, Mina, needs an extraordinary birthday gift for her 25th birthday - a husband! 

However, Mina is exhausted by her mom's constant matchmaking. After yet another dating fail in New York City, Darya and Mina travel back to their home country of Iran. Once they're out of their everyday routines and submerged back into Persian culture, the mother-daughter duo begins to understand each other better. 

Will that understanding continue when Mina meets a man outside her mom's radar? 

The Book Girls Say... While this is a lighter choice with romance and family themes, it also gives great insight into Iran in two unique time periods - 1978 and 1996. With descriptions of architecture, food, and even a few Farsi words, you'll feel like you took a trip to this beautiful and often misunderstood country.

AUTHOR BIO: Marjan Kamali was born in Turkey to Iranian parents. She spent her childhood in Kenya, Germany, Turkey, Iran, and the United States. She studied English Literature at UC Berkeley and received her MBA from Columbia University and her MFA from New York University. She now lives in Boston.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
91% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Gian Sardar

Setting: KURDISTAN REGION

This novel is set in war-torn 1979 Kurdistan, a province in northern Iraq that is now an autonomous region. The main character, Olivia, is a secretary for an LA newspaper but dreams of being a photojournalist. So when her Kurdish boyfriend is invited home to a wedding, she agrees to join him and hopes to take photos that will get her recognized at work. Plus, it's a great opportunity to understand her boyfriend's past. 

However, when they arrive, they realize the trip will be more dangerous than they anticipated. The town is now under curfew and patrolled by the armed Iraqi military. When Olivia photographs a tragic event, it has the potential to pull her relationship apart. 

Despite the region being torn apart by war, the book is a beautiful look at the lush landscapes and culture of Kurdistan. You'll also find a balance of destruction and hope in this descriptive romance. 

This book is available via Kindle Unlimited.

AUTHOR BIO: Gian Sardar was born and raised in the US. Her father is from Kurdistan of Iraq, where he grew lush gardens amid turmoil, and Take What You Can Carry is based on his stories as well as a trip the family took in 1979.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller

Setting: AFGHANISTAN

While titled a memoir, it's important to know going into this choice that it was ghost-written by an adult based on the memories of a child fleeing Afghanistan after the Soviet Invasion in the early 1980s. As political rest intensifies in the region, Enjeela's mother visits India for medical treatment. While she is gone, the rest of the family realizes that they need to flee their home and attempt to reconnect with the mother. 

The family's wealth gives them more options than many, but they still had to endure a treacherous five-year journey, including walking the Hindu Kush section of the Himalayas, to find freedom again. 

The Book Girls Say...For another fascinating memoir set in Afghanistan, check out Open Skies: My Life as Afghanistan's First Female Pilot by Niloofar Rahmani with Adam Sikes.

AUTHOR BIO: Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller was born in 1976 in Kabul, Afghanistan, and is currently a citizen of the United States. She has also lived in Pakistan and India.

This book is included with Kindle Unlimited as of 7/13/2022.

by Faleeha Hassan
Setting: IRAQ

Coming of age wasn't easy in war-torn Iraq. The author of this memoir was raised in a working-class family and hated watching her dad and brother head off to fight. Her memoir highlights the endurance required to co-exist with war, including her story of traveling alone to the front line when she needed to reach her family. Through it all, she remained dedicated to education for herself and her children. As a poet, she is known as the "Maya Angelou of Iraq."

This memoir will give you new insight into the wars in Iraq and then later shares what it's like to be an Iraqi immigrant in the US.

Author Bio: Faleeha Hassan was born and raised in Najaf, Iraq. In 1991, she became the first female to publish a book of poetry in Iraq. In 2011, she fled her country after her name appeared on a militant group's death list. After taking refuge in Turkey, she began working with a UN office. Faleeha Hassan was eventually accepted into the US by a Roman Catholic charity.

by Elisha Waldman

Setting: ISRAEL

For seven years, pediatric oncologist Elisha Waldman worked in Jerusalem treating children--Israeli Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Palestinian Arabs from the West Bank and Gaza--who had been diagnosed with cancer. His memoir reflects back on those hard, but cherished, years of his life as tensions and traditions complicated an already difficult career.

The ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians became part of his daily life. Along the way, his identity as an American immigrant to Israeli was questioned as he straddled two cultures, not feeling fully part of either. 

The Book Girls Say... Because of the nature of his career and work, some of the stories of his patients are pretty grim. However, reviewers consistently refer to this book as compelling and praise how the author treats everyone with respect, whether they share the same Jewish beliefs with him or not. 

NOTE: The eBook version of this one is called an eTextbook vs a Kindle book because it was made so the page numbers in the digital edition would match the print version. However, it will still be readable like normal in the Kindle app.

AUTHOR BIO: Elisha Waldman is an American-born physician who received his medical degree from the Sackler School of Medicine in Tel Aviv. He spent seven years working as a pediatric oncologist at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem.

by Hala Alyan

Settings: ISRAEL, PALESTINE, KUWAIT, JORDAN

This debut novel was written by a Palestinian-American poet and covers three generations of the same Palestinian family. It begins as the family is uprooted after the Six Day War of 1967. The main character, Alia, moves to Kuwait City and builds a new life with her husband and three children until Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait in 1990. Then, the family must again flee, this time being spread apart to Beirut, Paris, and Boston. 

As Alia's grandchildren are born, each part of the family navigates the burdens and blessings of assimilation in new cities. 

The Book Girls Say... A family tree at the beginning of the book will come in handy during the shifting perspectives throughout the book. Because of this, it may be a better choice as a paper or Kindle book than audio. 

AUTHOR BIO: Hala Alyan spent her early years living in Kuwait, where her parents met and married. Her mother had a Lebanese passport and her father had Palestinian travel documents. In what the author describes as “a stroke of foresight and genius,” her mother traveled to visit her brother in Illinois when she was 8 months pregnant and Hala was born there. They then returned to Kuwait where they lived until, when Hala was 4-years-old. Her family sought political asylum in the United States following the Iraqi force's invasion of the country. In the years that followed, her family moved over a dozen times between the middle east and the U.S. She received her bachelor’s degree from American University of Beirut and now resides in New York.

by Melissa Fleming

Setting: SYRIA & EGYPT

A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea is a non-fiction book that reads like page-turning fiction. The Syrian refugee crisis flooded the news, with many countries overwhelmed trying to process the vast numbers of asylum seekers fleeing their war-torn homes.

This book tells the well-rounded story of one girl, Doaa, starting with her life in Syria before the war and following her journey of strength, courage, and sorrow. Each page is compelling as you get an inside look at a 19-year-old refugee who first fought to stay in Syria and then fought for her life and the lives of other children during a harrowing four days at sea.

The Book Girls Say...This is one of Melissa's favorite books of all time. It intersects a dramatic page-turning story with rare insight into everything a refugee endures before landing in another country to ask for asylum. If you loved Adunni in The Girl with the Louding Voice, I think you'll also fall in love with Doaa.

If you've already read this one, another highly-rated Syrian refugee memoir is Homes by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah.

AUTHOR BIO: Melissa Fleming was born in Massachusetts and has spent her adult life living in Europe and working for international refugee organizations. She leads communications for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and travels to war zones and refugee camps to give voice to those people forcibly displaced from their homes. In A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea, she tells the story of one of the Syrian refugees she worked with.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Manal Al-Sharif

Setting: SAUDI ARABIA

This is the intimate memoir of a devout Muslim woman turned accidental activist. Raised in a modest Saudi Arabian family and born the year fundamentalism took hold in her country, Manal describes herself as a religious radical in her adolescence. She once melted her brother's boy band cassettes in the oven because the music was haram, forbidden by Islamic law. But education changed everything for her.

In her twenties, she became a computer security engineer and was one of only a few women working in a desert compound that she describes as resembling suburban America. It was here that her experiences and the contradictions of the Saudi kingdom became too much for her to ignore quietly. She was labeled a slut for talking with male colleagues, she had to have her teenage brother chaperone her on business trips, and while she could keep a car in her garage, she was forbidden from being behind the wheel on city streets.

In this memoir, Manal provides a rare glimpse into the everyday lives of women in Saudi Arabia. She describes how she became an unexpected leader in supporting women's right to drive, stood up to a kingdom of men, and won!

WARNING: There is a short section of the book where Manal tells about her experience with female circumcision. It's heartbreaking and may be shocking.

AUTHOR BIO: Manal Al-Sharif was born and raised in Saudi Arabia. She graduated from King Abdulaziz University with a degree in computing and, until May 2012, she worked as an Information Security Consultant for the Saudi national oil company. She has spent much of the last decade campaigning for women's rights in Saudi Arabia.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Anat Talshir

Setting: JERUSALEM

Translated from the original Hebrew, About the Night is a love story that begins in the 1940s. Elias is a Christian Arab living on the eastern side of the newly divided city, and Lila is a Jew living on the western side. Despite their deep love for each other, they're separated by a physical wall and by distrust between their regions. Sadly, from 1948 until the end of the 1967 Six Day War, which reunited Jerusalem, Elias and Lila couldn't communicate at all. 

This slow-burning book is told from the perspective of Elias from his sick bed in 2006 as he reflects on his life and choices. It's fiction, but loosely based on the story of the Israeli author's family friend. 

AUTHOR BIO: Anat Talshir is an Israeli author and has been one of Israel’s most distinguished investigative journalists, and also taught creative writing at a college in Rishon LeTsiyon, Israel. About the Night was written in Hebrew and translated.

by Katherine Zoepf
Setting: SYRIA, LEBANON, ABU DHABI, SAUDI ARABIA, & EGYPT

In prior decades, girls went from child to married women with no traditional coming-of-age adolescent period. In this non-fiction book, author Katherine Zoepf examines how that has begun to change. Young Arab women now outnumber men in universities, and many are challenging how things have always been done. Not only are they trying to change things for themselves, but they’re also advocating for the rights of others in bold ways. For example, in 2011, young women helped lead Arab Spring protests.

Through the book, she shares the stories of brave young women from five different counties, each with different struggles, traditions, and levels of modernity.

The Book Girls Say…While the title is uplifting, some readers hoped for more stories of a more considerable change, so keep in mind this is still a challenging read in many ways. However, it’s an authentic look at life as a progressive woman in the region. Topics include honor killings and female circumcision.

Author Bio: Katherine Zoepf is a graduate of Princeton University and the London School of Economics. She lived in Syria and Lebanon from 2004 to 2007 as a journalist.

by Lucy Foley

Setting: CONSTANTINOPLE (now Istanbul, TURKEY)

Set in 1921 Constantinople, Last Letter from Istanbul is a historical fiction novel from the author of the contemporary thriller, The Guest List. 

Nur's childhood home has been turned into an Army hospital, and her town is now full of Allied soldiers. Yet, Nur tries to focus on the orphan boy she adopted in her fallen city. 

When he becomes very ill, Nur desperately chooses to intertwine her life with the enemy and return to her old home for medical assistance. As she pleads for help from Officer George Monroe, will he remain an enemy or become a friend? And is something even more threatening lurking?

AUTHOR BIO: Lucy Foley is from London, England, but as a full-time writer, she now divides her time between the UK and the Middle East. She says that much of Last Letter from Istanbul was written in a garden in Tehran.

by Hala Alyan
Setting: LEBANON

If you love international family sagas, consider this highly-rated 2021 novel. The Nasr family consists of a Syrian mother, a Lebanese father, and three American adult children who have always lived a life of migration. However, their ancestral home has always been in Beirut.

When the family patriarch dies, Idris inherits the home and decides to sell it. However, no one else is on board with this plan. They all travel to Beirut to persuade him to keep the home. The region is still trying to recover from war, handle an influx of refugees, and is full of religious and political tension.

Tensions exist within the family as well. Although they share a goal of saving their home, secrets, and jealousy exist between the family members.

Author Bio: Author Hala Alyan is a Palestinian-American poet, novelist, and clinical psychologist.

By David Grossman
Setting: Israel

Ora is a middle-aged Israeli mother, recently estranged from her husband and desperately waiting for her son’s return from military service. She decides that if she travels to Galilee for a secluded hike, her son will remain safe as the “notifiers” wouldn’t be able to reach her with any bad news.

Before leaving, she reaches out to Avram, a former best friend (and lover). He’s been reclusive since they were young and had his own terrible experience as a POW during his military service. As they walk together, day after day, Ora catches Avram up on her life as a mother, and he shares his experiences in war. Readers are left seeing two sides of life in Israel.

The Book Girls Say…This novel is on the longer side at 581 pages, and while it’s highly rated, keep in mind that it’s very character-driven literary fiction. This won't be a great fit if you prefer a lot of action and plot. Much of the book takes place through discussions on a very long walk.

Author Bio: Leading Israeli novelist David Grossman (b. 1954, Jerusalem) studied philosophy and drama at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and later worked as an editor and broadcaster at Israel Radio.

by Ayşe Kulin

Setting: TURKEY

This historical fiction novel, based on true events, follows four generations of a Jewish family. As Hitler rose to power, Gerhard and Elsa Schliemann fled Germany in search of a safe place to raise their children. After finding few opportunities elsewhere in Europe for Gerhard to continue his work as a medical professor, the family unexpectedly found refuge in Istanbul, Turkey, where the universities and hospitals welcomed him. But despite embracing their adopted country, this family's story would not be without struggle.

From WWII to the age of social media, this novel provides a good look at political, societal, and cultural upheavals that occured in Turkey over the decades. Throughout this 80 year period, the Schliemann family experience challenges to their cultural identity, and 80 years after escaping Germany, anti-Semitism once again threatens their future.

The Book Girls Say... Ayşe Kulin is one of Turkey's most beloved authors, and also wrote the international best seller, Last Train to Istanbul. Although less of that novel takes place in Turkey, historical fiction fans will also enjoy this novel that follows a group of Turkish diplomats aiding hundreds of Jewish people fleeing the Nazi invasion of France. From Akara to Paris, Cairo, and Berlin, The Last Train to Istanbul crisscrosses a war-torn continent in an uplifting tale of love and adventure.

This book is available via Kindle Unlimited.

AUTHOR BIO: Ayşe Kulin is a Turkish contemporary novelist and columnist. Without a Country was first published in 2016, and was translated into English in 2018.

by Marc Levy

Setting: TURKEY, as well as other countries in Europe

Alice Pendelbury's life in post-war London was comfortably settled before a carnival fortune teller tells her that she must travel to Turkey to meet six people who will lead her to secrets about her past. Her typically hostile neighbor, Mr. Daldry, encourages her to take the prophecy seriously, and even agrees to finance her trip.

This is a witty and charming story of love and friendship mixed with just enough mystery. Throughout her journey, Alice (herself a perfume seller) experiences the world through smells, and the atmospheric writing will help you feel like you're right there with her every step of the way from England to Istanbul, Turkey.

The Books Girls Say... Some say this book is a bit slow to start, but it's worth sticking with it for this lovely story. The book is primarily told in a 3rd person narrative, but the format changes to a series of letters late in the book, which audiobook listeners report particularly enjoying.

This book is available via Kindle Unlimited.

AUTHOR BIO: Marc Levy was born in France. When he turned eighteen, he joined the Red Cross, where he spent the next six years. Before his full-time career as a writer, he was a tech entrepreneur and an architect, co-founding an interior design and planning company that became one of the leading architecture firms in France. At age 37, he wrote a story that his sister, then a screenwriter, encouraged him to publish. Prior to publication, Steven Spielberg acquired the film rights to the novel. The movie, Just like Heaven, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starring Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo, was a #1 box office hit in America in 2005. Since that time, Marc has written 18 novels that have been translated into 49 languages. He now lives in New York.

by Dave Eggers

Setting: YEMEN

This non-fiction book tells the story of Mokhtar Alkhanshali, a young Yemeni-American born in California to Yemeni immigrant parents. At the age of 24, Mokhtar discovers Yemen's central role in the history of coffee. He decides to travel from his home in San Francisco to his ancestral homeland to resurrect the ancient art of Yemeni coffee.

While he travels deep into the country, touring terraced farms high in the rugged mountains of Yemen and meeting the farmers, war engulfs the country and Saudi bombs begin raining down. Mokhtar must find a way to safely escape Yemen without giving up on his dreams or abandoning the people he's met.

The Book Girls Say... This is an enjoyable read, especially for coffee lovers.

AUTHOR BIO: Dave Eggers is an American author whose breakout work was a memoir about the death of his parents and his struggle to raise his younger brother. That memoir was chosen as a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Nonfiction. Since that time, Eggers has had many other fiction and non-fiction successes. In writing The Monk of Mokha he conducted hundreds of hours of interviews and spent countless days traveling with Mokhtar Alkhanshali.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

by Susan Abulhawa

Setting: KUWAIT, JORDAN, PALESTINE

In this novel, the main character, Nahr, was born in Kuwait in the 1970s and is the daughter of Palestinian refugees. Nahr dreamed of falling in love, raising children, and opening her own beauty salon. But life didn't go according to her plans. Her husband jilts her not long after their marriage, her family is on the brink of poverty, and she is forced to prostitute herself to get by. She finds herself a refugee when the US invades Iraq, just as her parents had been.

After trekking through another temporary home in Jordan, she lands in Palestine, under Israeli occupation. Here she rebuilds her life and falls in love. So how does she now find herself locked away in prison under solitary confinement?

The Book Girls Say... Described as both impactful and haunting, this book is told from the perspective of the Palestinian experience. Nahr is a very well-written and complex character, and the writing style will allow you to understand her thoughts and actions, whether you agree with them or not.

AUTHOR BIO: Susan Abulhawa was born in Kuwait to parents who were refugees of the 1967 war when Israel captured what remained of Palestine. She currently lives in Pennsylvania and is considered one of the most widely read Arab authors in the world. She also the founder and President of Playgrounds for Palestine, a children's organization dedicated to upholding The Right to Play for Palestinian children.

by Ethan Chorin

Setting: LIBYA

This book is part anthology and part travelogue. Ethan Chorin was one of the first U.S. diplomats posted to Libya, and during his time there, he noticed that Libyan fiction rarely mentioned specific cities and landmarks. He made it his mission to track down and translate stories that specifically mentioned places in Libya.

In this book, Chorin collected 17 short stories about life in Libya, almost all written by Libyan authors. He then visited the places mentioned in each story and described what he experienced there.

The Book Girls Say... This book provides a fascinating look at modern-day Libya told from the dual perspective of Libyan authors and an outsider experiencing it through an American lens.

AUTHOR BIO: Ethan Chorin was born in New York and began his career as a business developer for an oil company. In 2004, he joined the U.S. foreign service and was one of the first U.S. diplomats posted to Libya. In 2011 he returned to Libya to co-found a non-profit to assist with post-revolutionary medical capacity-building. He is now a Middle East and African focused scholar, and is considered a leading analyst of Libyan affairs.

by Hisham Matar

Setting: LIBYA

In this Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, Libyan author Hisham Matar returns home to his native Libya in search of answers to his father's disappearance. When he was just 12, Matar's family went into political exile in Egypt. His father was a former Libyan diplomat turned political dissident against the Qaddafi regime. Eight years after their exile, Matar's father was kidnapped from the streets of Cairo by the Libyan government. When the Qaddafi reign fell, Matar and his family returned home with the hope of finding clues about their father's whereabouts.

This memoir is not told linearly, but is instead made up of a series of stories through which Matar pieces the whole story together. His prose allows readers to feel the same painful emotions that his family experienced through the years. In addition to sharing the story of his family, Matar also explores the concept of home and what it means to be a man and a father.

The Book Girls Say... Hisham Matar also wrote a powerful novel titled In the Country of Men, which tells the story of a 9-year-old Libyan who, in 1979, sees his best friend's father arrested and shoved into a car on the streets of Tripoli. Then his own father disappears. In the Country of Men was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2006, and, while fiction, it provides a compelling glimpse of life in Libya under Qaddafi.

AUTHOR BIO: Hisham Matar was born in New York City to Libyan parents. His father was working for the Libyan delegation to the United Nations. The family returned to Tripoli, Libya when he was three years old, and he spent his childhood there until the family was forced to flee to Egypt due to political persecutions under the Ghaddafi regime. At the age of 16, he moved to London to further his education, where he has lived for much of his adult life.

by Jim Krane

Setting: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The city of Dubai (one of seven United Arab Emirates) has been drastically transformed in the past 60 years - from a dusty village to a capitalist oasis to the quintessential, cosmopolitan metropolis of the future. Dubai is a city of contrasts. Located not far from some of the world's most dangerous places, Dubai is one of the world's safest. Filled with architectural landmarks and luxury resorts, Dubai is also one of the world's worst polluters. Rapid growth has left its citizens as a tiny minority in a sea of foreigners.

In this non-fiction book, Jim Krane, who reported for the Associated Press from Dubai, provides a "boots-on-the-ground" look at this fascinating city, its history, and its future.

AUTHOR BIO: Jim Krane grew up in Ohio. His career with the Associated Press took him to the Middle East where he covered Baghdad, then all six Gulf Arab nations, including the UAE and Dubai. He now lives in England with his family.

by Kassem Eid
Setting: SYRIA

When he was 3 in 1989, Kassem Eid immigrated from Palestine to Syria. As he grew up, he realized his family was treated differently as immigrants and opponents of Syria’s brutal regime. Things escalated in 2000 when Bashar al-Assad succeeded his father.

As a young man, Eid survived both a sarin gas attack and mortar fire as he helped the Free Syrian Army fight against the brutal and oppressive government. In his memoir, he shares what it is like to grow up under a corrupt dictatorship, but also how he risked everything to bring the world’s attention to the atrocities happening under Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Author Bio: Kassem Eid is a Syrian media activist and public opponent of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

by David Millar

Setting: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

In this light-hearted work of travel literature, David Millar explores the Emirates in search of the past through a series of road trips. At each destination, Millar experiences the modern location and sheds light on the lost cities of the United Arab Emirates.

Described as Bill Bryson meets Leonard Woolley, Millar's humorous writing style makes his subject both accessible and enjoyable.

The Book Girls Say... There are quite a few travelogues about the UAE written by expats, but we specifically selected this one for our list based on the reviews from long-time UAE residents who praise this book for exploring far beyond glittery Dubai, and for working to understand and document the history.

This book is available via Kindle Unlimited.

AUTHOR BIO: David Millar studied archaeology and glaciology in England and worked as a science journalist and editor in London. After a career change, he lived as an expat in Dubai for 10 years, and during his time there he developed a fascination for the archaeology of the Emirates and Arabian Peninsula. He now lives in Western Canada.

by Azar Nafisi

Setting: IRAN

Based on the author, Azar Nafisi's, real life, this book tells the story of a secret reading group. For two years, seven women met with their teacher to read forbidden Western classics. With fundamentalists taking over universities and "morality squads" conducting unannounced raids, the simple act of reading Jane Austen and F. Scott Fitzgerald was life-threatening. In the memoir, you'll see how the stories they read intertwined with the woman's real lives and be reminded of the power of literature. 

The Book Girls Say... Keep in mind that this book includes the group's discussions on five classics, and if any are on your reading list, there may be spoilers. The books discussed are: Lolita, Invitation to a Beheading, The Great Gatsby, Daisy Miller, and Pride and Prejudice. The book also has a slightly lower rating than our normal cut-off for inclusion, but with many still giving it 5 stars and the book being a compelling true story, we wanted to include it with hopes our group of book lovers will enjoy it.

AUTHOR BIO: Azar Nafisi was born in Iran in 1948. During her teenage years, her father served as mayor of Tehran from 1961 to 1963. After attending university in the US, she returned to Iran where she worked as a professor and writer. In 1997 she moved to the United States and became a US citizen in 2008.

by Zoë Ferraris

Setting: SAUDI ARABIA

In this fast-paced crime fiction thriller, nothing is what it seems. The body of a burqa-clad and brutally beaten young woman is discovered on a sandy beach in Jeddah, in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia.

The detectives are all too used to murders like these, and they are quick to want to dismiss this case as another unsolvable murder in a city where women are kept anonymous in life and death. But Katya, a forensic scientist, is convinced that the victim can be identified and her killer can be found. Interwoven with Katya's story, as she seeks to solve the mystery, is that of American Miriam Walker. Miriam's expat husband, Eric, has gone missing leaving her alone and essentially trapped in Jeddah- forced to wear a veil and not allowed to drive a car unaccompanied.

The author moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of the first Gulf War and lived in a conservative Muslim community with her then-husband and his extended Saudi-Palestinian family. Through this novel, she provides a nuanced and intimate portrayal that lifts the veil and takes us deep inside the fear-filled lives of women living under the repressive Saudi regime. Through the eyes of Miriam, she also provides a look at this world from the perspective of an American woman.

The Book Girls Say... This book is the second in a series, and while it continues some of the character relationships established in the first book, it can be read as a stand-alone. If you are interested in reading all three books in the series, begin with Finding Nouf, then City of Veils, followed by Kingdom of Strangers.

AUTHOR BIO: Zoë Ferraris was born in Oklahoma. In 1991, she married a Saudi man and moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where they lived in a conservative neighborhood with his Saudi-Palestinian family. Zoë now lives in San Francisco, but all three of her novels are based on her time living in Saudi Arabia.

By Seth M. Siegel
Setting: ISRAEL

While we often hear bad news from the Middle East, this non-fiction book sheds light on something very positive. Because they lack abundant natural water sources, Israel has prioritized water innovation and security. As a result, the country has developed cutting-edge technology to solve its water shortages and even provide water to their neighbors, the Palestinians and the Kingdom of Jordan.

The book explores the different methods and techniques tried by inventors to turn their shortage into a surplus. Because the US and other countries are headed for the same concerns, the book is also a hopeful how-to guide for other nations.

The Book Girls Say…This is a fascinating read if you’re interested in sustainability and/or environmentalism!

by Jean Sasson

Setting: SAUDI ARABIA

Sultana (a name used to protect her identity) is a Saudi Arabian princess who seemingly has everything and more. Four mansions across three continents, a private jet, jewels galore, and endless designer dresses. But in reality, she lives in a gilded cage. She has no freedom or control over her life - everything is controlled by her father, husband, sons, and country.

At great personal risk, Sultana has told her story to author Jean Sasson in hopes that by speaking out about the treatment of women in her country, she'll be able to improve the future for her daughters.

The Book Girls Say... This is presented as a non-fiction book. Some readers have questioned the accuracy of this work and asked how this book could reveal so many details of the princess's life story without her being caught and punished. While we cannot answer those questions, the follow-up books address this issue and describe how she deals with the fallout from the first book's publication and the punishments she receives as a result.

This book is available via Kindle Unlimited.

AUTHOR BIO: Jean Sasson was born in Alabama. At the age of 28, she accepted a position at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh, and lived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for 12 years. She traveled extensively, visiting 66 countries over the course of 30 years.

by Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar

Setting: QATAR

When Qatari newlywed Abdalla loses his beloved pregnant wife in a car accident, he blames himself and vows never to marry again. But unfortunately, that is not an option in his traditional family. When he's forced into an arrangement with his cousin, Hind, he tries to stretch out the engagement as long as possible.

To his surprise, he discovers Hind is just as reluctant to marry as he is. Instead, she's more focused on going to grad school in England. However, when she meets an Indian-American friend, her journey takes a turn that jeopardizes her future.

The Book Girls Say... This book reveals a glimpse of Qatar's Muslim life that Westerners rarely see. Reviewers describe this novel as a fast-paced and enjoyable contemporary romance with feminist undertones. While some describe the prose as a bit too simplistic, the main characters are well developed, and the story will open your eyes to the beauty of Qatar.

Love Comes Later is currently available on Kindle for $0.99, and the sequel, Pearls of the Past, is currently included with Kindle Unlimited.

AUTHOR BIO: Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar was born in India, educated in the US, and has lived in Qatar since 2005, where she raised her children. She is a scholar of gender and literature, and has published both works of fiction and essays about her experience living in the Arabian Gulf.

by Naomi Shihab Nye

Setting: OMAN

The main character, 7-year-old Aref, has been told his family is leaving Oman to move to Michigan, but he doesn't want to leave his home. When he refuses to pack his suitcase, Aref's mom calls his grandfather, Siddi, for help.

Instead of forcing him to pack immediately, Siddi takes Aref on a series of visits to notable places throughout their beautiful country. Siddi collects a small stone for Aref to carry to America as a precious memento of home at each stop. As they tour Oman, you'll get an excellent feel for the varied ecosystems in the area.

The Book Girls Say... While this is technically a middle-grade book, it's full-length at 309 pages and is a sweet book for all ages. However, some reviewers are turned off by the book's uncomplicated sentence structure or poetic style. Still, others adore the writing in this gentle story and the relationship between grandfather and grandson.

AUTHOR BIO: Naomi Shihab Nye was born in Missouri to a Palestinian refugee father and an American mother. She spent her adolescence living in Jerusalem, Ramallah (a Palestinian city), and San Antonio, Texas.

Book Girls' Readers Rate This Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% Would Recommend to a Friend