by Mark Smith
First published 2007
Photographer Mattias Satterstrom opens a dusty box and discovers glass-plate negatives, letters, and a journal belonging to his great-grandfather Algot. The materials reveal that Algot left Sweden in 1903 to make a new life in Egypt and Jerusalem. The images and writings captivate Mattias, who decides he must see these places for himself. He convinces his friend and fellow photographer Mark Smith to join him on a journey that will retrace Algot's path exactly one century later. They arrive in Alexandria on the same date Algot first stepped onto Egyptian soil. As the two men move through Egypt and Jerusalem with cameras in hand, they find themselves caught between past and present. The cities have changed dramatically, yet something essential remains. Mattias searches for traces of his ancestor while grappling with questions about identity, family legacy, and what it means to follow in someone else's footsteps across time.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, 21st-century, photography, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, following-in-footsteps
Setting: Alexandria, Egypt, Jerusalem, Sweden
Period: 1903, 2003
244 pages · Hardcover · Muzot Pr Llc