A Caravan of Brides: A Novel of Saudi Arabia

by Kay Hardy Campbell

Overview

After attending college in Lebanon, Fawzia returns home to Jeddah and takes up secretly with her forbidden college sweetheart. When her reckless behavior leads to family tragedy, she is drawn into an unlikely friendship with a mysterious old storyteller, the niece of a legendary tribal chief.

Narrated by Fawzia and the storyteller Salma, A CARAVAN OF BRIDES celebrates the dangerous melody that love sings in each generation, as it brings the world of Saudi women, past and present, into focus with a tender touch. Travel with memorable characters across Arabia, from the ancient cities of Jeddah and Mecca, to a peaceful mountain valley, forbidding northern deserts, and a storied oasis town once known for tolerance and open-mindedness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780999074312
Publisher:	Loon Cove Press
Publication date:	09/15/2017
Sold by:	Draft2Digital
Format:	eBook
File size:	837 KB

About the Author

Kay Hardy Campbell was born in Abington, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Massachusetts and Minnesota. She developed a lifelong fascination for the Arabian Peninsula and earned a BA in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s Degree from Harvard in Middle Eastern Studies. She lived in Saudi Arabia for several years with her American husband, a fellow student of Arabic. While living in the kingdom, she wrote cultural features for the English language dailies, Arab News and Saudi Gazette. Since returning to the U.S., she has traveled back to Saudi Arabia three times on assignment for AramcoWorld Magazine to write about Saudi culture. Her short fiction has appeared in the Aroostook Review, her features and essays in Chamber Music America, Down East, and Cabin Life, and her poetry in the literary journal Mizna. She also researches and writes about the folk music and folk dances of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. Kay plays Arabic music and is the co-founder and administrative director of the Arabic Music Retreat. She and her husband live in Maine.

Editorial Reviews

Campbell's masterful debut novel delivers a story that matches up flawlessly with real-life aspects of Middle Eastern culture, geography, and history. The characters are deeply developed, and their stories intertwine with true events that readers may be unaware of, such as the 1918 flu epidemic and the 1979 Grand Mosque siege. The storytelling transports the audience to a foreign place and time with vivid details and timeless themes. As the well-paced plot moves forward, readers may nearly forget about its destination because they're so wrapped up in the journey. A mesmerizing Middle Eastern tale to be savored from beginning to end. - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 2017-11-09
A timeless story of forbidden love set against a Saudi Arabian backdrop.This intriguing work of historical fiction begins in the city of Jeddah in 1978. A single woman named Fawzia Bughaidan pursues a forbidden relationship with a young man named Hisham in secret. When her sister Ibtisam discovers this and confronts her, Fawzia must choose between her love for Hisham and her fear of repercussions. After tragedy strikes during a family trip to Mecca, she finds healing in a new friendship with an old woman named Salma al-Shamaali. Looking back to 1917, Salma tells Fawzia of the long, arduous, and adventurous journey of her own life. She was also tempted by forbidden love as a young woman, and when her fatherfound out about it, she was forced to marry her abusive cousin. When his temper made her fear for her life, she and her servant girl sought refuge, traveling hundreds of miles across the deserts and mountains of Saudi Arabia dressed as men. Salma's memorable journey and the lessons that she learned along the way give Fawzia the inspiration that she needs to move forward—and to finally decide what to do about Hisham. Campbell's masterful debut novel delivers a story that matches up flawlessly with real-life aspects of Middle Eastern culture, geography, and history. The characters are deeply developed, and their stories intertwine with true events that readers may be unaware of, such as the 1918 flu epidemic and the 1979 Grand Mosque siege. The storytelling transports the audience to a foreign place and time with vivid details and timeless themes. As the well-paced plot moves forward, readers may nearly forget about its destination because they're so wrapped up in the journey.A mesmerizing Middle Eastern tale to be savored from beginning to end.

Kirkus Reviews