A heartbreaking tale of a family and an impossible love, torn apart by secrets and traditions in late-twentieth-century Cairo.
As a boy in 1960s Cairo, Tarek knows that his entire life is written in advance. He’ll be a doctor like his father, marry, and have children. Under the watchful eyes of his mother and his sister, he starts to do just that – until Ali enters his life and turns it upside down. The two men, from very different worlds, embark on an unsayable relationship that threatens to tear apart Tarek’s family.
Years later, as Tarek is living a solitary life in Montreal, someone starts writing about him and to him, piecing together a past he wants only to forget. But who is the writer of this tale? And will he figure it out in time?
About One eRead Canada
This national One Book, One City initiative is an opportunity for all public libraries to participate in a Canada-wide digital reading program. It’s presented by the Canadian Urban Libraries Council / Conseil des Bibliothèques Urbaines du Canada (CULC/CBUC).
Un Livrel/One eRead Canada brings people and libraries together from coast to coast to read and/or listen to a single title in both English and French and engage with each other about how it impacted them. This initiative is similar to a One Book, One City program, but on a national scale in digital format, and with a bilingual offering. It highlights French and English literary gems from Canada and celebrates works in translation.
Books are an important means of connecting and understanding the world around us; the importance of access to digital books and audio has never been so clear for libraries and our users.
Share your thoughts on this year’s novel by using these hashtags on your social media:
#1eReadLivrelCanada #BookClub #HamOnt
Join the One eRead Canada Book Club. Follow along at their page.
National Online Events
Join Antonio Michael Downing, host of The Next Chapter for an engaging conversation with author Éric Chacour about his novel, What I Know About You (Ce que je sais de toi), and translator Pablo Strauss. It can be streamed through Mississauga Public Library’s Youtube Channel on April 30 at 7 pm ET.
Éric Chacour will be in conversation with Caroline Morin on April 29 at 7 pm ET in French.
Access to BAnQ’s online activities is through Teams. You can download the Teams app or join the meeting as a guest without creating an account, at your choice.
