The thugs

Author's name: Khairy Shalaby

In this beautiful novel, first published in 1978, the great writer Khairy Shalaby reveals a page from the secrets of the Delta countryside in the early 1950s. He weaves a rich world about Talaat, who searches for his father, the judge, who visited their village for a few days when he married their mother, Tawhida, and then disappeared, never to be seen again. The police and the locals track down the bag of Hajj Salim, the manpower contractor, which disappeared from the village mayor's house, containing a huge treasure, most likely hashish, after the muezzin, who was expected to be the only witness against the thief, was killed that same night. In his language, he knows these peasants, belongs to them, and grasps their true nature. Khairy Shalaby tells us about the oppression of the authorities, their cunning, and the corruption of the effendis who work for them that the peasants endured. In “Al-Awbash,” Khairy Shalaby captivates both his heroes and his readers with captivating stories, official investigations, malicious complaints, and endless gossip. He takes us all to an enchanting world that we would love to stay in despite the pain it contains.