by Zoë Ferraris
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Product Description
Zoë Ferraris's electrifying debut of taut psychological suspense offers an unprecedented window into Saudi Arabia and the lives of men and women there. When sixteen-year-old Nouf goes missing, along with a truck and her favorite camel, her prominent family calls on Nayir al-Sharqi, a desert guide, to lead a search party. Ten days later, just as Nayir is about to give up in frustration, her body is discovered by anonymous desert travelers. But when the coroner's office determines that Nouf died not of dehydration but from drowning, and her family seems suspiciously uninterested in getting at the truth, Nayir takes it upon himself to find out what really happened to her.
This mission will push gentle, hulking, pious Nayir, a Palestinian orphan raised by his bachelor uncle, to delve into the secret life of a rich, protected teenage girl -- in one of the most rigidly gender-segregated of Middle Eastern societies. Initially horrified at the idea of a woman bold enough to bare her face and to work in public, Nayir soon realizes that if he wants to gain access to the hidden world of women, he will have to join forces with Katya Hijazi, a lab worker at the coroner's office. Their partnership challenges Nayir, bringing him face to face with his desire for female companionship and the limitations imposed by his beliefs. It also ultimately leads them both to surprising revelations. Fast-paced and utterly transporting, Finding Nouf offers an intimate glimpse inside a closed society and a riveting literary mystery.
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Average Customer Review:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 A current favorite, 2008-10-03
This is the book that I have recommended most, in recent months. Although it follows a standard detective procedural format, it delves into Saudi culture in a way that few novels can. The protagonist is intriguing, because his traditional Palestinian-Bedouin attitudes should be repugnant, but are treated respectfully, and help contribute to the reader's understanding of Arab society. The lives of wealthy Saudi women (especially those with traditional Bedouin origins) are portrayed sympathetically and convincingly.
I hope that this is the first in a series of detective novels featuring the desert guide, and the medical examiner, as protagonists.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 a Woman's Life, 2008-09-10
Finding Nouf is a devastating look inside the life of a captive woman, one restricted by her culture and one who wishes to escape. I was so affected by the details surrounding women's confinement, even though I was already aware of them, that I recommended the book to my students in Book of the Month club. For young people, especially girls, who take their freedoms for granted, this novel is a call to appreciation and an insight into another culture. The fact that it is also a who-done-it merely adds to its overall appeal.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
An Excellent View of Another Culture, 2008-09-10
It's hard to believe that this is a first novel. What an exciting and in-depth visit to another culture, particularly showing the plight of women and the meager choices that they have. The setting is portrayed in vivid detail; you feel as if you are there, too. The main characters are delightful and believable. Read this book! You won't be disappointed.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
A frighting look at our "friends" in the Middle East, 2008-09-08
This book is above average for a mystery, a "who done it" story. Where it really stands out is the up-close look at how women are treated (and kept as chattel) in Saudi Arabia. You get a first hand account of what it's like to be barred from what modern society takes for granted: being able to walk down a street, ride a bicycle, hold a job, or even look at someone of the opposite sex.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 A Different Way of Life, 2008-08-31
Enjoyed this book. That said, the book's plot line moved painfully slow, characters did not have depth, and the chapters did not dovetail. It was very interesting to learn of the difference in the culture - at times a bit repetitive on the "woman have it rough" theme.
The detective work was interesting to follow - but lacked a connectedness. What I found hardest to believe was how the female character, Katya was suddenly promoted and appeared to be opening career doors for others. During the story it appeared she was a hair away from being sent to "time-out."
The love theme meandered in and out - and was left vague and unconvincing. It was hard to actually care or develop much empathy for any of the individual's in the book - especially the central character - Nouf.
Having been very candid, I conclude with looking forward to future books from Zoe Ferraris.
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