Bridges of Constantine

 Khaled, a former revolutionary in the Algerian war of liberation has been in self-exile in Paris for two decades, disgusted by the corruption that now riddles the country he once fought for. Now a celebrated painter, Khaled is consumed with passion for Hayat, the daughter of his old revolutionary commander, who unexpectedly reenters Khaled's life. Hayat had been just a child when he last saw her, but she has now become a seductive young novelist. The first novel in an award-winning, bestselling trilogy that spans Algeria's tumultuous recent history,The Bridges of Constantine is a lyrical and heartrending love story.

Review: Remarkable, insightful ... The elegiac quality is present not just in the themes, but also in the astonishingly poetic language throughout ... I stopped and marvelled every few pages ... This is one of the richest and most evocative books that I have read all year, I only hope we don't have to wait too long for the two sequels to The Bridges of Constantine to be published in English. The Arab-speaking world shouldn't get to keep Mosteghanemi's novels all to itself * Independent *

A window into a different world * Daily Mail *

Mosteghanemi is a good storyteller, and her plot picks up when it moves to the Maghreb. She delivers a scathing portrait of Algeria's corrupt leadership * Independent *

Ahlem has carved a place for herself as one of the most important writers of the Arab world * Youssef Chahine, Egyptian director, winner of the Cannes Film Lifetime Achievement Award *