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Nadia's Song by Soheir Khashoggi
Book Summary InformationAuthor: Soheir Khashoggi Edition: Paperback Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published) Published: 2006-05-02 ISBN: 0765350971 Number of pages: 384 Publisher: Forge Books
Book Reviews of Nadia's SongBook Review: A Story of War, Love, and Tragedy Summary: 5 Stars
This story takes place in Egypt during the decades of World War II. It is centered around Karima, who in the beginning of the story has died. Her long lost daughter Gaby who got to meet her mother before she died is attending the funeral that day. After this point, the story rolls back in time when Karima was young, and a talented vocalist with much potential.
Karima Ismail, growing up a child of wealthy parents, has fallen head over heels with Charles, the son of their servants. Though their love was forbidden, they carried on behind their parents back, and Karima becomes pregnant. Charles dies in a terrible car accident, before he even realizes that Karima is carrying his child. Karima cannot tell her father this, as she is filled with shame. When her wicked brother Omar finds out, there is hell to pay for Karima, as he despises her. Once Omar discovers this, then he fixes Karima up with a husband so and moves her oaway from their lives so as not to disgrace the family. Shortly after Karima marries Munir, Nadia is born and is the bright spot in Karima's life, along with Munir who loves her as his own.
When Nadia was 2, a horrible fire breaks out in Cairo, and everyone in the building has to run for their lives. Nadia ran off by herself, and stayed on a pile of rubble before being discovered by Tarik and Celine. They mean to rescue the child, and they do. But they don't bother to return her-and instead they want a child so badly of their own, that they adopt Nadia, and she becomes officially their daughter. She is named Gabrille, and is never told what really happened with her.
In the meantime, Karima is heartbroken. She is lost without her little daughter like any mother would be; yet she manages to continue on in fame and fortune with her vocal career. She wll not find Nadia for years to come until Nadia uncovers the truth, and by that time Nadia has almost grown up, losing her other mother, Celine, to cancer. After her death, Tarik tells her the truth, and it is at that point that Nadia seeks out her birthplace and finds Karima.
The two become good friends and travel back and forth to visit each other often. Tragedy comes into the story when Omar sets up someone to kill his sister. But he doesn't get by with it when Nadia, the perceptive person that she is, uncovers the details as to what really happened in her mother's death.
Summary of Nadia's Song"You will have great sorrow in your life, and loss," the old woman foretold. "But you will also have great triumph and joy. And only Allah knows in what measure."
Alexandria, Egypt. Born a humble servant girl on a cotton plantation owned by a wealthy British family, Karima Ismail never imagined how far her dreams would take her---nor the heartache and passion in store. Although her doomed love for her employer's handsome son ends in tragedy, their brief romance leaves her with a beautiful daughter who is the joy of her life.
In time, Karima's heavenly voice brings her stardom as she becomes one of the most admired and successful singers of her generation, the world-famous "Nightingale" of Egypt. But all her success counts for nothing when, in one terrible night of flame and revolution, little Nadia suddenly disappears, leaving Karima bereft.
Given a new name and identity, Karima's lost daughter grows up thousands of miles away. It is only when an unexpected chain of events leads "Gaby" back to Egypt that she can begin to unravel the mystery of her past---and discover the happiness she longs for.
Set against five decades of turbulent Middle Eastern history, from World War II to the first Gulf War, Nadia's Song is a moving saga of mothers and daughters and the unbreakable bond between them.
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