Book Review: Sunset Oasis by Bahaa Taher

Book Review: Sunset Oasis by Bahaa Taher
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Updated 01 August 2024
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Book Review: Sunset Oasis by Bahaa Taher

Book Review: Sunset Oasis by Bahaa Taher

Sunset Oasis by Bahaa Taher is a captivating historical novel that transports readers to the captivating world of 19th-century Egypt. The story follows the life of Asma, a young woman who finds herself caught up in the turbulent events of the time. 

Set in the Ottoman era, the novel opens with Asma living a quiet life in the remote oasis town of Siwa, tending her family’s date palm grove and dreaming of a life beyond the confines of the desert. However, her world is upended when she is forced to flee Siwa and take refuge in the bustling city of Cairo. There, she encounters Mahmoud Abul Ala, a charismatic revolutionary who draws her into the growing resistance movement against the occupiers. 

As Asma becomes more deeply involved in the fight for Egyptian independence, she must grapple with the ethical complexities of the conflict and the personal sacrifices it demands. Taher masterfully weaves together Asma’s intimate personal journey with the larger historical forces at play, creating a richly textured narrative that explores themes of identity, duty, and the human costs of political upheaval. 

One of the novel’s strengths is its vivid and immersive depiction of 19th-century Egypt. Taher’s meticulous research shines through in the book’s attention to historical detail, from the bustling markets of Cairo to the harsh beauty of the Saharan desert. Readers are transported to a bygone era, surrounded by the sights, sounds and customs of a world that feels both familiar and exotic. 

Asma is a complex and compelling protagonist, whose personal transformation mirrors the larger societal changes unfolding around her. As she navigates the treacherous political landscape, she is forced to confront her own beliefs and loyalties, as well as the realities of power, violence and the limits of resistance. 

“Sunset Oasis” is a masterful work of historical fiction that offers readers a nuanced and thought-provoking exploration of a pivotal moment in Egypt’s past. Taher’s lyrical prose, richly drawn characters and keen eye for historical detail make this a captivating and deeply satisfying read. Whether you are a fan of literary fiction, historical novels or simply a lover of compelling storytelling, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression. 

The original Arabic version of the novel, “Wahat Al-Ghurub,” was published in 2007. In 2009, the English translation, “Sunset Oasis,” was published and made available to international audiences. 


What We Are Reading Today: The Ticos

What We Are Reading Today: The Ticos
Updated 28 June 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: The Ticos

What We Are Reading Today: The Ticos

Authors: Mavis Hiltunen Biesanz, Richard Biesanz

Written with the perspective of more than half a century of first-hand observation, this unparalleled social and cultural history describes how Costa Rica’s economy, government, education and health-care systems, family structures, religion, and other institutions have evolved, and how this evolution has affected and reflected people’s daily lives, beliefs, and their values. 

The authors are particularly concerned with change since the economic crisis of the early 1980s and the structural adjustment that followed.

The book provides a comprehensive introduction to a country the writers know well, according to a review on goodreads.com.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Private Finance, Public Power’

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Updated 27 June 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Private Finance, Public Power’

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  • Public-private negotiations over financial governance has evolved into an essential ecosystem of banking risk management

Authors: Peter Conti-Brown and Sean H. Vanatta

Banks in America are private institutions with private shareholders, boards of directors, profit motives, customers, and competitors. And yet the public plays a key role in deciding what risks are taken as well as how, when, and to what end. Public-private negotiations over financial governance has evolved into an essential ecosystem of banking risk management.

In “Private Finance, Public Power,” Peter Conti-Brown and Sean Vanatta offer a new history of finance and public policy in the US by examining the idiosyncratic way the nation manages financial risk across the public-private divide.

Covering two centuries, from the founding of the Republic to the early 1980s, Conti-Brown and Vanatta describe the often-contested, sometimes chaotic, engagement of bankers, politicians, bureaucrats, and others in the overlapping spaces of the public-private system of bank supervision.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Anxious Generation’ by Jonathan Haidt

What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Anxious Generation’ by Jonathan Haidt
Updated 26 June 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Anxious Generation’ by Jonathan Haidt

What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Anxious Generation’ by Jonathan Haidt

In “The Anxious Generation,” Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults.

He explains why social media damages girls more than boys and why boys have been withdrawing from the real world into the virtual world, with disastrous consequences.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Standard Model’

What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Standard Model’
Updated 25 June 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Standard Model’

What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Standard Model’

Authors: Yuval Grossman and Yossi Nir

“The Standard Model” is an elegant and extremely successful theory that formulates the laws of fundamental interactions among elementary particles.

This incisive textbook introduces students to the physics of the Standard Model while providing an essential overview of modern particle physics, with a unique emphasis on symmetry principles as the starting point for constructing models.

“The Standard Model” equips students with an in-depth understanding of this impressively predictive theory.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Dynamics and Astrophysics of Galaxies’

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Dynamics and Astrophysics of Galaxies’
Updated 24 June 2025
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Dynamics and Astrophysics of Galaxies’

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Dynamics and Astrophysics of Galaxies’

Author: Jo Bovy

This book provides an in-depth introduction to the dynamics, formation, and evolution of galaxies.

Starting with the basics of galactic structure and galactic dynamics, it helps students develop a sophisticated understanding of the orbital structure of spirals, ellipticals, and other types of galaxies.

The book demonstrates how observations led to the discovery that galaxies are dominated by dark matter and explores in detail how structure evolves from the primordial universe to form the halos that host galaxies.