If an Egyptian cannot speak English by Noor Naga

 "If an Egyptian cannot speak English" by Noor Naga - Something different!

This book was published by Graywolf Pr in 2022 and has 186 pages.  

Afer her graduation, a shaven headed American young girl of Egyptian origin comes to Egypt. She is a foreigner in her own land. She befriends Samy and Reem (a lesbian), two misfits and starts teaching English at British Embassy. A man, fed up with poverty, runs away from his village in Egypt and moves to Cairo. He becomes a drug addict photographer. Expectedly, they meet.

What happens next? Will they become friends or enemies? Will the two opposite cultures clash? How will it end?

Title of every chapter of this book is a question. The questions are very intelligent and make you think. For example: If you play to lose, what do you win if you win? Is a country boy trading country stories for city stories from city girl, being ripped off? If a city is trying to kill you actively, should you take it personally? Is it arrogant to grieve the loss of something you never had? If the beast is already in your house, does that make the wilderness safer?

The boy and girl have no names. They get introduced, struck up, start living together, bliss, relationship turning toxic The story is nostalgic, cryptic, surreal at the same time.

It's a slow story. Not much happens. It's a story of Conflict between haves and have nots, suffering and comfort, Egyptian and foreign culture, orthodox and liberal.

The book ends with a book club discussion of the memoirs of the girl where the girl participates. This discussion provides the readers multiple possible ending reader choose whatever they want.

It's a different kind of book.

Why I read this book? Curious title.

What did I like? Something different.  

What didn’t like? Place is slow.

Read if you liked the review.

Those horrific 15 days by Vilas Vare

"Those horrific 15 days" by Vilas Vare. Translated from Marathi to English by Prof. Vikram Apte- COVID days!

This book is published by Scion publications in 2025 and has 254 pages. 

Deshmukh, co-editor of ‘The Janaswarajya’ is detected with Corona during second wave and is admitted to ‘Girija Mata Hospital’ for Covid patients. The hospital is run by an honest politician, Lankeshwar. Author spends 15 days in the hospital ward and meets other patients, people from various walks of life.

Who will he meet? How many will survive? Will the author survive? What happens in those horrific 15 days?

It’s an interesting collection of characters. Nilesh is true social worker. Selfless. Interested in service of downtrodden. Digambar is a Varkari. Dada Karnik, a Brahmin by profession who has a change of heart. Ahmed sells chai at vari going to Pandharpur. Tarachand is a teacher and a poet.  Madhu is the idealist school teacher. Akshay is a Tamasha artist.  There is an aboriginal graduate youth, who works on daily wages. Author Deshmukh, the journalist who fights for people and has left many jobs because he refused to compromise. Then, there are characters like Sadhana and Vidya, who author never meets. Also, there is Sister Jagdale, Ward boy Ithape, two doctors etc. 

Author takes us through the story of each patient. His life, aspirations, emotions, sorrows and suffering. Author has collected a good set of characters from all strata of society and life. None of them is rich or well off. Each one has a life story to tell. The common thread binding them is their sorrow and suffering exacerbated by corona. It’s the central theme of this book. 

One by one the patients leave either due to death or because they are cured, leaving author alone for one night. When the author is alone, there is a free flow of thoughts. Although they are free flowing thoughts of the character of the journalist, author should have written it in a more structured manner. Instead, it’s messy. It’s full of contradictions, oxymorons, jumps from one subject to another and irrationalism. In one paragraph he is extremely critical of government and in next he praises them. In one para he rants about not having enough vaccines, in the next he praises for the vaccine production. By the time you are aligned with authors way of thinking he has jumped to another line of thinking. Agreed that these are the thoughts of author and need not be orderly. But there should be some semblance of order for the readers to follow them. This last section is messy and unorganized. He is all over the place. Or may be it was by design. 

It’s a good book. You keep reading. 

Author Vilas Vare is known for writing books that address social issues and highlight the sorrows and suffering of the affected people. His books, however, are not dark or dystopian. They are realistic with a ray of hope. That is his USP! Author has done huge social work in his real life and real life experiences make his story telling authentic and honest.

Translator has remained true to his role. He has translated what was written rather than trying to improve it or tweak it.

Why did I read this book? Interesting and current topic. 

What I didn't like? The last section.  

What did I like? The characters. 

Recommend reading.

Disclosure: The translator is my father. 

Oath of loyalty by Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills

 "Oath of loyalty" by Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills - Mitch Rapp continues! 

This book is published by Simon and Shuster in 2022 and has 368 pages. This is Book 21 of Mitch Rapp series.

The situation between Mitch Rapp, the most successful CIA operative and assassin and Anthony Cook, the President of USA has worsened beyond repair. Mike Nash, Friend of Mitch and Irene tries to entrap Rapp with an intention to kill, but Rapp turns the table forcing Mike to commit suicide. A special operations team storms Rapp's Home with an intention to eliminate him, but Rapp escapes. Irene Kennedy is unceremoniously sacked from position of Director of CIA and replaced by Cook loyalist. 

Why does Cook want Rapp eliminated? What will he do to get it done? Who will Irene side with? Will Cook succeed? Is it good for America?

Now the fight is not for the country. It's personal. To take on the most powerful man on earth is no small feat. Rapp takes a series of measures to safeguard himself and his family. But a new threat emerges as soon as previous one is neutralized.

Rapp has aged but he is still angry and trigger happy. But he is also thinking of avoiding conflict and living peacefully. It's a yin-yang within him. Irene is still in control of what she does and reads the situation better than anyone else.

Book ends with resolution of the conflict but the story will continue. The end is unconvincing.

Why I read this book? Author.

What did I like? The planning.  

What didn’t like? Relatively easy capitulation.

Read only if you are reading the series!