Women of Sand and Myrrh

First published in 1988, Women of Sand and Myrrh was the first book to write about the role of women in Saudi Arabia. It caused controversey and was banned in many Arab countries, and is still banned to this day Bloomsbury is gaining a reputation for publishing excellent fiction from the Middle East - Women of Sand and Myrrh is no exception Hanan Al-Shaykh's novel Only in London gained widespread critical acclaim and was shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize

In an unnamed Middle Eastern city, four women from different social and cultural backgrounds tell their story. There is Suha, an educated Lebanese woman brought to the desert by her husband; Tamr, who must fight against male rule to educate herself; and, Suzanne, captivated by the men and the mystery of the Arabian desert.In an unnamed Middle Eastern city, four women from different social and cultural backgrounds tell their story. There is Suha, an educated Lebanese woman brought to the desert by her husband; Tamr, who must fight against male rule to educate herself; Suzanne, captivated by the men and the mystery of the Arabian desert; and Nur, in fierce pursuit of lovers (male and female) and foreign adventures - but her husband has her passport. All four women struggle in a society where women cannot drive a car, walk in the streets unveiled, or travel without male permission. It is a society where sex, due to its constraints, becomes an obsession. These women are treated to every luxury except that which they truly desire - freedom.