Synopsis:
Shahrazad’s Gift is a collection of linked short stories set in contemporary Cairo—magical, absurd and humorous. The author focuses on the off-beat, little-known stories, far from CNN a Swedish belly dancer who taps into the Oriental fantasies of her clientele; a Japanese woman studying Arabic, driven mad by the noise and chaos of the city; a frustrated Egyptian housewife who becomes obsessed by the activities of her Western gay neighbor; an American journalist who covered the civil war in Beirut who finds friendship with her Egyptian dentist.
We also meet the two protagonists of McCullough’s Confessions of a Knight Errant, before their escapades in that story. These stories are told in the tradition of A Thousand and One Nights.
Rating: 5-stars
Review:
Shahrazad’s Gift by Gretchen McCullough is a wonderfully written collection of short tales that bring a mixture of cultures together. It is different from most other writings. The tales each of their own unique blend and unusual circumstances filled intrigue, humor, and entertainment. I am never sure of what I will find within Gretchen McCullough’s collection of stories. It is similar to opening a treasure chest lost for generations only to see what is hiding inside of it. This writer has a way with words that connects readers to certain directions and or a group of people. Readers will never have to worry about being bored.
The AR Critique 