![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Book Review
Feb. 14th, 2025 01:39 pmA Sultan in Palermo
by Tariq Ali
This novel, fourth in the Islam Quintet, is set in mid 12th century Sicily, at the end of King Roger II's reign. The story follows cartographer Muhammed al-Idrisi as he navigates both his personal and public lives in the midst of simmering tensions between the Muslim population and the Norman rulers.
Idrisi is a smart and complex man who is reflective and compassionate. He is largely driven by his personal relationships, where ties of love and respect are his strongest motivators. At his core, he cares deeply about his family and friends and harbors a number of regrets in how he has handled some of his relationships. Idrisi's family was full of great characters - I especially liked the two loves of his life, sister Baklis and Mayya. They are both smart passionate women who deftly navigated their own webs of relationships. Idrisi's family also contains a mingling of Muslims and Christians that mirrors the political situation in Sicily. Ali does a really good job of looking at a man trying to steer himself and his family through a volatile situation.
by Tariq Ali
This novel, fourth in the Islam Quintet, is set in mid 12th century Sicily, at the end of King Roger II's reign. The story follows cartographer Muhammed al-Idrisi as he navigates both his personal and public lives in the midst of simmering tensions between the Muslim population and the Norman rulers.
Idrisi is a smart and complex man who is reflective and compassionate. He is largely driven by his personal relationships, where ties of love and respect are his strongest motivators. At his core, he cares deeply about his family and friends and harbors a number of regrets in how he has handled some of his relationships. Idrisi's family was full of great characters - I especially liked the two loves of his life, sister Baklis and Mayya. They are both smart passionate women who deftly navigated their own webs of relationships. Idrisi's family also contains a mingling of Muslims and Christians that mirrors the political situation in Sicily. Ali does a really good job of looking at a man trying to steer himself and his family through a volatile situation.
