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📚 In the depths of rural Egypt, where traditions and customs weave their tight web around human destinies, echoes of oppression and injustice resound in The Curlew’s Call, one of the most prominent literary works by the dean of Arabic literature Taha Hussein. First published in 1934, the novel quickly became a staple on the literary scene, not only for its great storytelling but also for tackling social issues. Its impact was so long lasting that it was later revived in cinema through a film of the same name.
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The story: Amna lives with her older sister Hanadi and their mother Zahra in a small village. Forced to seek a fresh start following a family tragedy, they move to the city, where both girls take up domestic jobs for wealthy families — Hanadi for a young engineer of high status, and Amna for an officer’s family.
Innocent and naive, Hanadi falls for the engineer’s manipulation — mistaking his words for love when in reality he is merely exploiting her. Succumbing to temptation, Hanadi is later killed by her own family in the name of honor. Amna later vows to seek revenge for her sister,and disguises herself to enter the engineer’s household as a servant. However, in the end it is not reason that has a final say, but her heart.
The book’s narrative blends tenderness and sorrow, where Hussein presents a tale of a rural girl forced into a journey of displacement — ultimately facing a harsh, unforgiving society. Amna does not willingly embark on a journey for justice in a world where men hold dominance over women’s fates — but is rather forced into it. The novel explores how justice is not only about revenge, revealing the internal struggle between the heart and the mind, between forgiveness and retribution.
WHERE TO FIND IT- The English version can be found at Bibliothek and Diwan. The Arabic version is available at Al Shorouk, Diwan, Neel wa Furat, and Al Masriah AlLubnaniah. A free digital version is also available on the Hindawi Foundation website.
