Lyrics Alley: Book summary and reviews of Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela

Lyrics Alley Summary

Lyrics Alley is the evocative story of an affluent Sudanese family shaken by the shifting powers in their country and the near-tragedy that threatens the legacy they've built for decades. In 1950s Sudan, the powerful Abuzeid dynasty has amassed a fortune through their trading firm. With Mahmoud Bey at its helm, they can do no wrong. But when Mahmoud's son, Nur, the brilliant, handsome heir to the business empire, suffers a debilitating accident, the family stands divided in the face of an uncertain future.

As British rule nears its end, the country is torn between modernizing influences and the call of traditions past - a conflict reflected in the growing tensions between Mahmoud's two wives: the younger, Nabilah, longs to return to Egypt and escape "backward-looking" Sudan; while Waheeba lives traditionally behind veils and closed doors. It's not until Nur asserts himself outside the cultural limits of his parents that his own spirit and the frayed bonds of his family begin to mend. Moving from Sudanese alleys to cosmopolitan Cairo and a decimated post-colonial Britain, this sweeping tale of desire, loss, despair, and reconciliation is one of the most accomplished portraits ever written about Sudanese society at the time of independence.

Lyrics Alley Reviews

"Starred Review. Real, compelling, and ultimately moving...Highly recommended for readers who enjoy family sagas set against a political backdrop." - Library Journal

"Rich in detail and generous in spirit toward its complex characters, [Lyrics Alley] showcases Aboulela's talent for connecting political and personal upheaval. [An] elegantly written family epic." - Kirkus Reviews

"Though the novel offers few glimpses into life outside the Abuzeid's sheltered enclave...Aboulela provides fine insight into the practice of Islam...as well as a thoroughly engaging if romanticized exploration of the universal tensions between modernity and tradition..." - Publishers Weekly

"Leila Aboulela writes with tenderness and sensitivity about the hopes of a country on the verge of independence. ...[The] narrative is at once compelling and illuminating, full of the color and cadence of Aboulela's homeland." - Tahmima Anam, author of A Golden Age

"I read it with the delight one has suddenly stumbling on lush and abundant hidden gardens behind foreign city walls, various with its own life and laws, and infinitely satisfying." - Sarah Blake, author of The Postmistress

"A tale of powerful feelings and potent words...this visceral, epic novel...gives fascinating insights into Sudanese society, with different characters embodying the dramatic clash between tradition and modernity..." - The Telegraph (UK)

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Leila Aboulela Author Biography

Leila Aboulela has published two books in England that have been highly praised. Her work has been long-listed for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the Orange Prize, and she was the first winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing. Her American debut, Minaret, is a provocative, timely, and engaging novel about a young Muslim woman—once privileged and secular in her native land and now impoverished in London — gradually embracing her orthodox faith. 

Leila Aboulela has also published Coloured Lights ('Original and immediate, Aboulela's writing stands apart from the backwards-looking bores of recent years.' —The List) and The Translator ('She pulls you into her world as she refracts British life, its smells...

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