Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris


2009 Alex Award Winner!

What a pleasant surprise! It's rare to read a mystery novel that doesn't read like a mystery novel! Does that make sense? Ferraris writes so well and the drama slowly unfolds.

Nouf, a sixteen-year-old, sheltered, Saudi Arabian girl has disappeared. Nayir, an expert desert man and friend of the powerful Shrawi family, is asked to find her. He does, and it's no surprise that he finds her body in the desert. So, they found her. But why was she in the desert? Was she murdered? Did she run away because of her impending marriage? Nayir, a strict Palestinian Muslim, wants to find out, but he has to work with Katya, a woman who actually works! Katya makes Nayir feel very uncomfortable, with her job and straight-forwardness.

What I liked best about this novel is how the author helped me understand the Muslim culture in the Middle East. And how hard is it to find a mystery set in the Middle East that doesn't involve killing a bunch of terrorists? I find myself missing Katya and Nayir. I can't wait to read this author's next book.

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