This review was deleted following Amazon's purchase of GoodReads.

The review can still be viewed via LibraryThing, where my profile can be found here.

I'm also in the process of building a database at Booklikes, where I can be found here.

If you read/liked/clicked through to see this review here on GR, many thanks.

I like how the book ends. The final chapter expertly encapsulates what happened to the main characters through Nur Abuzeid's interview with the radio station. Nabilah Bey returned to Egypt and her children became friends with Fatma's daughter, and Soraya became a mother. And Ustaz Badr moved into his dream home. It wasn't clear initially what Ustaz Badr's role is, and the chapters on him slowed the book down. Turns out that he had an important role in spurring Nur to become an excellent poet and unwittingly persuaded Nabilah to return to Sudan. While reading this, I can't help but think of Palace Walk. Both took place in Egypt and had kind patriarchs. Palace Walk took place in Egypt in the 1910s; Lyrics Alley partly took place in Egypt but in the 1950s. But as I write this review, it strikes me how different the two Egypts are. The Egypt depicted in Palace Walk is so much more conservative. That's one of the interesting things I like about reading - learning about different countries and cultures. ( )

This is a story of a wealthy Sudanese family. The father has made a fortune in trading; he has two wives: one a traditional Sudanese wife who gave him two sons, now grown. The second wife is much younger from Egypt who has a young son and daughter. The father also has a brother who is widowed with three girls; the oldest taking the place of the mother, the second married to her cousin, and the youngest, Soraya, who wants to study and become modern. The setting is in the 1950's when Sudan was a part of the British protectorate, The father admires the British and easily moves between cultures of Sudan, Egypt, and Britain.

The the youngest son who also has the most promise of following the father's steps has a very serious accident which leaves him paralyzed, everything changes. Soraya has hopes of marrying Nur. The second wife becomes very embittered and takes her children back to Cairo after the first wife performs a circumcision on the daughter.

As Nur mentally works through his disability, he begins writing poetry even though the father and uncle it is a disgrace. His words later become the lyrics of a popular Sudanese song.

An interesting look at the time in Sudan when Muslims and Christians easily intermingled (Soroya attends Catholic school and is beloved by one Sister who encourages her to go to school). At the end of the book, Sudan is just becoming independent and the reader gets the idea that the family troubles will be eased as the country's troubles start. ( )

Started slowly, but became very engrossing in the middle and then fizzled a little toward the end. The book is based on the life of the author's uncle (although she says she didn't try to stick closely to the facts of his life) and I wonder if that accounts for some of the pacing problems. I also found the large cast of characters hard to keep track of in the first few chapters--they are all interrelated (often in multiple ways) and I practically need to make a chart to figure out the different relationships. ( )

Started slowly, but became very engrossing in the middle and then fizzled a little toward the end. The book is based on the life of the author's uncle (although she says she didn't try to stick closely to the facts of his life) and I wonder if that accounts for some of the pacing problems. I also found the large cast of characters hard to keep track of in the first few chapters--they are all interrelated (often in multiple ways) and I practically need to make a chart to figure out the different relationships. ( )