Genre Fiction
![Doma Mahmoud - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_doma_mahmoud.jpg)
Cairo Circles
One of BuzzFeed's New Books You'll Love
"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
Sherif "Sheero" Abdallah is an NYU student reveling in independence, free from the judgmental 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 socializing 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
Sherif "Sheero" Abdallah is an NYU student reveling in independence, free from the judgmental 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 socializing 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.
Editorial Reviews
"Doma Mahmoud masterfully weaves together four Cairo families, separated by social class, whose lives intersect over decades in scenes that are among the most memorable and moving I've ever read. It is a rare relief to see their lives (ones not often written about) handled with such sharp and delicate nuance. A stunning novel about the difficulty of forgiving our kin, and ultimately, ourselves for our part, real or imagined, in shaping their choices. Mahmoud writes with such insistent and fierce compassion that it is impossible to read Cairo Circles without marveling at the opening and cleansing of one's own heart." ―Fatima Farheen Mirza, author of A Place for Us
Readers Top Reviews
LailaRondaMariposa
if you’re in a reading lull, you should definitely pick this up. i don’t always get transfixed with books right away, but i grew an attachment with the characters very quickly. my curiosity grew with each and every chapter. all in all - the novel was very engaging, and this is easily one of my favorite reads of the year
Maya G
I don't know where to begin. This book made me cry several times and I feel so seen and understood after having read it. And I'm not even Egyptian, I'm Lebanese. If you're Arab and your first language is English, this novel is a must read for you. IT'S A NOVEL ABOUT US. It's impossible to talk about the plot without spoilers but I was so tense the whole time I was reading it.
Adam Moson
Truly makes you think about the dynamics of class in the Middle East
Michael Gibson
It was so captivating, I couldn’t put it down (finished it in two days). Written in intricate detail, there’s suspense and foreshadowing that kept me turning the pages for more. Characters are complex and interesting, and one feels for them as they wrestle with issues of life and faith, regardless of their differing social classes. The connections made and the way the Cairo circles are described and come together in the ever unfolding plot was brilliant. Addressed in the narrative is a cross-cultural misunderstanding that continuously needs to be discussed in order to ultimately be resolved. Highly educational as well as entertaining, Cairo Circles had me laughing out loud several times and in tears at least a couple times. A very moving ending leaves space for the reader’s imagination to guess what happens next…
Karen Alkalay-Gut
This book charts changing lives in a changing society that is not always kind but ultimately hopeful. A fine read.
