Review: A great read--I'm looking for the next one!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 14, 2012
This book is a realistic look at the journey of a rape victim as she struggles to come to terms with the horror of what has happened to her. Farida lives in a society where a woman who has been raped is not seen as a victim, but instead becomes the scorned one; a defiled person who loses her status in the community.I was so impressed with this book. Tarek Refaat has so accurately portrayed this Egyptian woman's point of view that you feel her frustration, her shame, her pain, her helplessness and you become involved in the lack of compassion in her community.Rape is a despicable act anywhere in the world, and while the reactions of society are different in many places, the feelings and reactions of the victim are universal.Tarek Refaat's debut novel is filled with feeling and understanding.  I predict that he will go far as an author.