First published 2019
Peter Hessler arrives in Cairo with his family as the Arab Spring transforms Egypt. He joins an archaeological excavation at a site called The Buried while revolution unfolds around him. In the city, he encounters a young gay Egyptian man facing harassment from police and social pressure. Hessler and his wife befriend Rifaat, their Arabic teacher, a politically savvy cynic who interprets the country's upheaval for them. They also develop a bond with Sayyid, their illiterate garbage collector, whose daily work sorting through Cairo's refuse becomes its own form of archaeological discovery. As Hessler moves between the ancient dig site and modern Cairo's streets, he witnesses how ordinary Egyptians navigate political chaos. The novel weaves together contemporary revolution and ancient history, showing how the past and present collide in the lives of people caught between worlds.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, archaeology, contemporary, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Cairo, Egypt
Period: Arab Spring
608 pages · Kindle Edition · Text
Content warnings: violence