From the #1 internationally bestselling author of The Sand Fish, Maha
Gargash's second novel is set in mid-1990s Dubai and Cairo and tells the
story of how secrets and betrayals consume three members--an
authoritarian father, a rebellious abandoned daughter, and a vulnerable
niece--of a prominent Emirati family.
Majed, the head of the eminent Naseemy family, is proud to have risen
into the upper echelons of Emirati society. As one of the richest
businessmen in Dubai, he's used to being catered to and respected--never
mind that he acquired his wealth by cheating his brother out of his own
company and depriving his niece, Mariam, of her rights.
Not one to dwell on the past--he sent Mariam to school in Egypt, what
more could she want from him?--Majed spends his days berating his wife
and staff and cavorting with friends at a private apartment. But he's
suddenly plagued by nightmares that continue to haunt him during the
day, and he feels his control further slipping away with the discovery
that his niece and his daughter are defying his orders.
Mariam despises Majed, and although she blames him for her father's
death, hers is a strictly-organized, dutiful existence. But when she
falls for a brash, mischievous fellow student named Adel, he might just
prove to be her downfall.
Largely abandoned by Majed as the daughter of a second, secret marriage,
the vivacious Dalal has a lot to prove. The runner-up on "Nights of
Dubai," an American Idol-type reality show for Arab talent, Dalal is
committed to being a singer despite the fact that it's a disreputable
career. When her efforts to become a celebrity finally begin to pay off,
she attracts the attention of her father, who is determined to subdue
Dalal to protect the family name. As Majed increasingly exerts his
control over both Dalal and Mariam, both girls resist, with explosive
consequences.
An exhilarating look at the little-known Khaleeji (Gulf-Arab) culture,
That Other Me explores the ways social mores contribute to the
collapse of one family.
