Wolves of the Crescent Moon

[A] clear and gripping picture of a Saudi society terribly divided between old and new, rich and poor. -Los Angeles Times A dramatic rendering of culture clash . . . Sophisticated . . . Will remind you of Camus's Stranger. -San Francisco Chronicle Wolves of the Crescent Moon has put Saudi Arabia at the forefront of Arab literature. . . . Saudi commentators have warned of an emerging 'industry' of writing about Saudi Arabia that is in danger of falling into cliches of representation for the sake of a quick buck. . . . Not so Mohaimeed, whose Wolves of the Crescent Moon eschews populist material such as young people's sex lives to delve into the complex Saudi social fabric with striking narrative artistry. -Reuters Haunting . . . Employing a nonlinear narrative that shimmers with a certain dreamlike quality, Wolves interweaves the lives of [three] characters in complex and unexpected ways. It's easy to imagine this tale being narrated by an ancient storyteller to a group of rapt listeners gathered around a blazing desert fire. Al-Mohaimeed's prose is taut and yet lyrical, evoking the harsh beauty of the desert landscape in spare sentences rich with vivid imagery. While his name will be unfamiliar to most American readers, his talent deserves serious attention. -BookPage Swirls with a richness of language and imagery . . . Deserving of a large audience. -Library Journal A very rich work . . . Intense . . . Vivid . . . Powerful . . . Gripping . . . Artfully constructed . . . A riveting story . . . Wolves of the Crescent Moon describes a part of Saudi society that is barely noticed. . . . Al-Mohaimeed's creative approach in weaving together these stories, and the pithiness of some of the scenes, show a talented author at work, yet another indication of a lively, innovative Arabic-fiction scene from which a lot more will surely be heard in the future. -The Complete Review This fresh-voiced debut novel . . . beautifully captures the frustrations and resentments of [its] tormented characters. -Publishers Weekly A fascinating story of three souls disfigured by life and looking for peace and safety in a merciless world . . . A fine read. -Diana Abu-Jaber, author of Arabian Jazz and Crescent An irresistible novel. -Nuruddin Farah, author of Links and Knots Brave and brilliant . . . A novel that sneaks up on you with its power to make you see, hear, and live the complexities of another world. -Uzodinma Iweala, author of Beasts of No Nation At last, an authentic voice from Saudi Arabia. Yousef Al-Mohaimeed has written a remarkable, rhythmic, genuine novel, throbbing with sensuality and moral courage, as if it didn't take place in a society that denies the tick of the heart. -Hanan al-Shaykh, author of Women of Sand and Myrrh