SHELF LIFE Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller

Listeners will delight in this memoir by the strong-willed and always opinionated Nadia Wassef, one of the co-owners of Diwan, a group of independent bookstores founded in Cairo in 2002. Narrator Vaneh Assadourian's lively cadences and emphatic tone perfectly suit this inspiring story. She brings forth the enthusiasm and feisty determination of this passionate advocate for intellectual freedom and women's rights. Hearing Assadourian convey the pleasures experienced by female customers as they browse the shelves stocked with books in multiple languages, enjoy a snack in a shop café, or even avail themselves of one of the few public restrooms available for women is a listening treat. Assadourian's fluency with English, Arabic, and French words is impressive. An uplifting and memorable listen. M.J. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2021]