Review: A Terrific Debut Novel by a Novelist of Great Promise. Call Me Leila should become a Hallmark Channel Hit!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 5, 2014
In her debut 249 page novel, Ms Hanna has managed to pack in not one, but two life stories of poor Christian women growing up on what we, in America, would call 'the wrong side of the tracks.'Having spent some 11 years of my life living in Egypt, even working a fair amount in Mansoura, I was impressed at how well Hanna was able to encapsulate life in this city famous for the reasons cited. She does this by showing, instead of telling. This method of setting the stage is especially difficult for most new writers, but Hanna accomplishes the task beautifully for Meshmesha and for Galeila.I normally do not read novels of this type, but, at her request to review, I did take advantage of the opportunity to download a free novel about life in Egypt spanning the period from Nasser's revolution of 1952 through the Arab Spring and concluding shortly after the first democratically-elected president was ousted in 2013. I especially love how her character, a devastatingly poor Christian, so succinctly had dismissed any concerns regarding Morsi's ouster despite her previous elation at the removal of the Mubarak concern. What I mean is, she didn't spend a great number of pages on this. Less than one. Other writers might have utilized a doesn't or so pages.Although she DID develop both characters, in just 249 pages, I believe these two women were interesting enough to warrant two books. Book one could have provided a prelude to Meshmesha, with a solid background of Egypt from the time of the Great Depression through the birth of Galeila. Meshmesha and her siblings remind me of Laura and the Little House books or the Walton's but, of course, from a far more poverty-stricken point of view and from a different angle, but the story could sell if well told. Of course, think is still possible and I would buy such a story.The second book could cover Galeila's life, but would develop more of the characters whom she married and/or loved. And it should include bits of the terrorism that took place in 1997, the earthquake in 1992, and, especially, on the various feuds in Upper Egypt that most Americans would suspect she was exaggerating about.What I'm saying is, Call Me Leila is a terrific story that could be two great stories if she chooses to.I definitely recommend this novel. I honestly believe it gives an insight into a demographic within Egyptian society that needs to be heard by people outside Egypt. Too many Americans think all Egyptians are Muslim and too few appreciate the fact that the vast majority of Egyptians are not terrorists. Hanna has found a way to show us both facets of a complex, cosmopolitan, society. Not so diverse as the USA, but nearly so.I look forward to more novels from this author. She could become a serious Hallmark Channel contributor in the future. It all depends on whether she will continue working to become the very best writer she can be.