Set in the harsh desert of eastern Egypt, Seeds of Corruption is the
tale of a Ulysses-like hero in search of himself and his ultimate
salvation. The novel becomes a singularly compelling play between the
peace and desolation of the desert, the corruption of the dissolute
Egyptian king and his court, the purity of the hero's daughter, and the
simple dignity of the fishermen and desert Bedouins. Seeds of Corruption
eloquently portrays the corruption of the Egyptian monarchy and the
aristocracy before 1952 as aided by foreign influence. Nicola, a mine
engineer of European background, must decide his true identity. Is he an
exploiter, like his bourgeois business partner, or is he more like the
people of the desert whom he admires so deeply for their ancestral
dignity and sense of honor? The novel offers a vivid and colorful
panorama of the Eastern desert by the Red Sea. Such a distant place is a
refreshing departure and Moussa's style is rich in imagery and
metaphors, making this book a masterpiece of fine Arabic writing.