9 year old Suleiman is just awakening to the wider world beyond the games on the hot pavement outside his home and beyond the loving embrace of his parents.

Set in 1979 Libya Suleiman begins to learn about family secrets and the wider world of living in a place where democracy and demonstrations against the government can see people disappear.

An interesting book but at times frustrating as it is told from the point of view of a nine year old and thus a lot of the events are restricted by his lack of understanding. The domestic household and routines were contrasted with some horrific events outside the house.

I kept on getting many of the characters mixed up, as they are referred to my many different names (eg The arabic word for "uncle", a person's first name, their nickname, or their surname) which was confusing.

I read this in preparation for my holiday in Libya (18-29th December 2010). This picture was taken at a local market where vegetables were sold. The colours were amazing and the produce fresh and tasty.

Posting this to Tarna in Finland, who chose it out of the Africa Virtual Book Box. The parcel is decorated with oodles of stamps with Queen Elizabeth II's head on it, due to a miscommunication with Royal Mail. But I think it looks cool. I hope you enjoy the book.

It's here! And looks really interesting. Thanks, KiwiinEngland!

In the Country of Men is a melancholy story that made me feel anxious almost all the time. It also made me feel anger. From time to time I had to remind myself how young the two main characters were. Slooma was only nine and trying hard to understand what was going on. As a narrator, he didn't spare himself at all. His Mama wasn't too old either. Getting married against her will at fourteen, having a baby she didn't want to have at fifteen, having a husband who spent a lot of time travelling — no wonder she needed her medicine, no wonder Slooma was left alone to cope with the reality he couldn't understand.
In the Country of Men . . . I was wondering about the title. To me, it suggests that in a country like Libya only grown-up men are — to some extent, at least — to express themselves and be active outside their homes. But even their freedom is restricted. But even they are free to read, do and say whatever they like only if it pleases the ones in power. And if it doesn't, it not only them but also their wives and children who'll suffer.
I'm glad the book was written in English, there's no fear of losing something essential in translation. In A Conversation with Hisham Matar, the author says, 'I am aware of an Arab hum in my prose'. He's right. Even if Matar writes in English, the text has something very Arabic in it. I found 'the Arabic hum' at least in the pace—which I liked very much—of the text and in the repetition which always delights me in Arabic way of writing.
All in all, I loved this book. It''s one of the best reads I've had this year. Thank you so much for it, KiwiInEngland!

Hisham Matar at Wikipedia

Hisham Matar: ‘I just want to know what happened to my father’, The Independent, July 16, 2006
Hisham Matar, Author, author series article in The Guardian, Jan. 16, 2010

Annelis, you chose a great book. Enjoy it.

The book arrived while I was in Tartu, Estonia. Thank you veru much, Tarna!
Yes, I think I will enjoy the book. I don't put it on the book shelf. I'll put it on the bedside table because I would like to start reading it immediately. But alas, I must draw some 60 math pictures today. That's the thing I really must start immediately.

Well, I did the drawings just in time. And now I am retired. No more work anymore - that's the theory anyway. Reality may be a little different.

It is so sad that children are often treated like they would not understand anything and they are not told anything important and consequently they are lost in their own life.
I read a little while a ago about a Jewish girl who had to go hiding during the WWII in The Netherlands. She was much older than Suleiman, but she was also protected from the reality as long as it was possible - until she had to go hiding. Unlike Anne Frank she made it. It was worse than a shame how the Jews were treated then and now they themselves are doing the same to Palestinians. Did they not learn anything from the holocaust?

"It was 1979 and the sun was everywhere. Triboli lay brilliant and still beneath it."

Well, in the countries of men women are treated the same way as children. And in some countries even men are treated that way.

Now Triboli is not so still anymore. I wonder what will become of Libya now. Or are they just changing the oppressor. There must be many candidates lurking there and eager to seize power.

Maybe it is a major winning in the lottery of life to have been born in Finland after all. I am sure I would not have the courage to speak what I think if I was born in Libya. Maybe I would be less stubborn and independent if my father had lived more than 6 years of my childhood.
Thank you for this interesting book! I rather liked the even if I don't like the situation these people are living in.
Tarna, The postcard is delicious! It lies beside my computer and I have been admiring those veiled pigeons and unveiled pigeons every day.

As this book tells about Libya it will be part of my A Book from Every Country Challenge

Thank you, Annelis!