The Locust and the Bird: My Mother's Story

by Hanan al-Shaykh (London: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC; NY: Random House, 2009)

Judith Weiss sent a link to this US review of a book released in the US yesterday.

http://www.counterpunch.org/larson06192009.html

It was also released in the UK June 1 - a British review is here:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-locust-and-the-bird-by-hanan-alshaykh-trans-roger-allen-1696910.html

Al-Shaykh, who is from Lebanon, was estranged from her mother as a child, when the mother divorced her elderly husband from an arranged marriage and married a man she loved. Having no leverage, she had to give up her two daughters to be raised by the husband's family. Years later, the mother followed the daughter's career as a writer, and eventually challenged her to write a book based on the life of a woman who did not have privilege or many choices - herself.

I have not read this book, which was only released in the US two days ago, and probably isn't even available yet in Canada. However, it has been warmly reviewed and should be of great interest.