Days of Ignorance by Laila Aljohani (retail) {dwg} torrent

The story opens with Hashem crouching over the body of Malek, his sister Leen's lover. Hashem has always been horrified that the man his sister loves is black, and one day his anger erupts in an outburst of violence that puts Malek in a coma.

As Leen waits by Malek's bed, she reflects on their love affair and her life as an unmarried, childless woman; an anomaly, in a country like hers. The story is juxtaposed with the unfolding of the Iraq war; another needless conflict.

Full of poetry, from ancient odes, elegies and prayers to the lyricism in the characters' language, Days of Ignorance is a tough, unforgettable and modern portrait of Saudi life.

The original Arabic version of the title refers to an Islamic concept of "ignorance of divine guidance" or "Days of Ignorance" referring to the condition in which Arabs found themselves in pre-Islamic Arabia.