Salti, born in Lebanon in 1966, deals with “unmentionable” aspects of Arab life in native lands, as well as in the West. Influenced by Alifa Rifat, Nawal al-Sa’dawi, Naguib Mahfouz, and Yusuf Idris—both their subjects and their courage—the six stories in this volume highlight the plight of marginalized groups and nonconformists.
Though he writes in English, Salti has sought to create an Arabicized English. His unique voice addresses such themes as religious intolerance, homophobia, the subjugation of women, and domestic violence.
"Salti’s stories, like those of Salman Rushdie in East/West ... deal with on-going, complex dynamics between West and East.”—Digest of Middle East Studies
"Ramzi Salti’s collection allows Western readers rare glimpses of some aspects of traditional Arab society that would otherwise remain concealed from them.”—World Literature Today