finished

Author's name: Hala Al-Badri

In Hala El Badry's novel, "Montaha," we find ourselves faced with a massive and ambitious project, the requirements of which the author fulfilled through a tremendous documentation process and distinguished craftsmanship, and with a comprehensive and broad perspective of reality, adept at observing its specifics and generalities at the same time. The project is a chronicle of Egypt in the period between World War I in 1914 and the aftermath of World War II, standing on the verge of the 1950s. The focus of history is a fictitious village, "Montaha," and its people, a family of landowners spanning three successive generations. Once life roars in this Lower Egypt village, the picture becomes complete, depicting Egypt's history during one of its most important periods... Hala El Badry documents the event in its various dimensions and rituals, which include, among other things, birth and marriage rituals, pregnancy and childbirth, work and wedding songs, food and clothing, all of which belong to a specific historical period. Therefore, her characters never move in a vacuum, but rather within their own highly private and unique historical environment. Latifa Al-Zayat