Customer Reviews

The Poison Tree - Planted And Grown In Egypt

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Marwa is a remarkable woman. She lives and works in Egypt,is a native has a better understanding of the issues around women and other salient social issues than I have found before. She writes from a younger person's point of view and her style is compelling. I was married to an Egyptian man and spent a great deal of time trying to understand "what happened!?" Marwa informed me of the cultural differences, I went on a search to find someone who could help me bridge my understanding gap and she is THE woman to do it. Also listen to her broadcasts on Nile FM. They are fascinating. If you are interested in Egypt, womens roles, the youth over there and in how things have and have not changed, this is the book for you.

I have been awaiting the publishing of Marwa Rakha's book for sometime after following her writings in different magazines and online.

The book in my opinion is one of the best written towards exploring what tens of millions of Egyptian & Arab girls and women experience and are afraid to express freely.

I have read it over & over and everytime I read it, it makes me laugh at some of the situations and brings me to the verge of tears some other times.

I am also following her different writings & posts on both Facebook.com and her personal site: www.marwarakha.com

It is worth reading by all means and I personally look forward to her next book.

This book is a poignant portrait written by a young Egyptian woman burdened, one might say, with excessive moral courage and brutal honesty.

Her microscopic scrutiny of the Egyptian dating and marriage scene as she views it spares no one, and least of all herself- the incisive, heart-wrenching examination of the tight rope Egyptian women must daintily and carefully tread if they wish to "win" a husband. In her case, she knows the games that must be played to "win", but they eat at her soul and she has a burning passion that can't be tempered and must speak out on the limitations she feels her society has imposed on women. At times the book is a savy "Sex and the City" type column written adressing different hot topics that avidly interest no doubt, her fellow countrymen and women with the fascination of the Arab world watching Egyptian serial soap operas. The author, Marwa Rakha addresses fascinating insights for Westerners into Egyptian psyche on dating/marriage issues -ranging from basic man and woman on the streets opinion, to societal class distinctions and snobbery, to taboo topics of prostitution and the complex survival decisions some women sadly make. Bravely baring her soul and laying her innermost fears on the altar of Truth as she sees it, the author gives us a rare glimpse into the inner workings of Love and Romance, Egyptian Style.

Beneath the biting words, there is always a sense of humour and a fond affection and deep love that binds her to her family, even though they must surely despair of this outspoken daughter and her future happiness. It was beautiful, how she wrote her that Dad would drive her around all night when she could not sleep, plagued by inner demons.

For my part, I saw many parallells for American, western women and the age old "war between the sexes" in this string of tales carefully beaded together. She also includes a some what tongue in cheek, special "Warning! Danger!" for Western women on the charm, allure of the charismatic Egyptian man when he is focused on winning a wife. Maybe the relgion, the language, the country, the culture are different. But there are always Women's Issues which transcend international borders and tie us together. Not all but most women want a happy family and a good husband, and most face similar challenges in meeting that goal- and the smarter and more out-spoken the woman in question, the more difficult that goal can be to achieve.

This book offers a profound insight in an unusal format for anyone wanting to learn an about the Egyptian society dating scene from a different dimemsional perspective. It's one of those rare works that can make you laugh and cry simultaneously.

Marwa, my wish and prayer for you is that God may send you the strong, secure man who will not be intimidated by the deep, burning and beautiful soul that you are.

An outstanding piece of work that dissects the man women relationship very eloquently rebelling on a traditionally male dominated culture.
A long time blogger Marwa brought to life this book that is a collection of some of her most controversial posts.
I really liked reading it twice, first time on the blog and second as a book.
Highly recommended to non conformists

I've always felt alone when observing the double standards of Egyptian Society, however after reading this book I am very happy to know that there are many people out there that wish to break free too. I liked how honest and courageous she was in answering some of the most important questions that our society always tries to hide. An excellent writer, I am proud that there is someone like Marwa to represent our society.

Marwa is truely Egypt's Carrie Bradshaw and Cairo is the middle east's big Apple. She has got the talent, the wit, the humor and the charm of Sarah Jessica Parker. She shares with the world her life and her views on being a single Egyptian woman in this day and age. She is angry at times, disappointed at others but always insightful. She obviously has major issues with Egyptian men and most probably rightly so. The book has a liberal theme to it but would appeal to everyone who approaches the book with an open mind. Not everyone would agree with Marwa's view but for sure would understand where she is coming from and would appreciate her openness and rational. One last thing, the illustrations are simply amazing.

This is a strong witty take on difficult and controversial subjects. I really enjoyed the honesty, humor, and the great language. As a fellow writer I hear Marwa's voice on the page, and I see the people she references on the streets of a country I know well. I live in America now, but was born in Egypt. I was transported to the streets of Cairo, to the hearts of young youth struggling to find something we as humans desperately long for; love, understanding, honesty, respect, and devotion.

Every woman, every person that ever had a broken heart, from every background can relate to some of the stories and experiences in this book, but unlike the author, some of us forget them or fail to reflect well enough on them and can go through years of making the same mistakes in love and relationships.

The book has a number of dimensions some of them being that:

It's very contemporary and gives us readers, a real look through the eyes of an Egyptian woman.

To the Author, I would like to tell her wow!!! Honest read, it's full of laughter but it's also what I would call bare, because Rakha doesn't hide her true feelings, identity and self. This book felt much about Marwa Rahka passing on her warmth and wisdom of life, which is a beautiful thing given that not that many people care so much to give that amount of time to other people.

After reading this book, I often check in on the events in Marwa Rahka's life and her thoughts on many things in Egyptian society by visiting her website and forum (http://www.marwarakha.com/), I now think that the author gave us readers so much of herself; I think it can't be helped if we want to keep updated with her news and views of life.

Normally I pass on most books to others after I have read them; this one for me is what I call A KEEPER, to pass on to my own daughter.

While reading I often thought did she really say that... or be that honest about a man, sexuality, Egyptian society and all of the things that sometimes we are afraid to admit to ourselves never mind actually putting them in a book for others to see and know about you for example

"its normal to pick up a wrong type of shoes every now and then, all women do that; but only smart women give the wrong pair away".

I hope she does a second instalment

As an Egyptian woman, I was touched by Marwa's honesty, and her uncanny ability to portray what it's really like to be an open minded Egyptian woman in an Egyptian society. I would recommend this to any Egyptian woman that wants to have her eyes opened, or needs help in breaking free of our many restrictions, or just wants to feel that someone shares her pain. I would recommend it to any Egyptian man that has the courage to look at the world from another angle. I would recommend this to any non-Egyptian that wants to have a better understanding of the brute force of society and culture. It's a great and easy read, yet sophisticated in its own way.

You don't have to be Egyptian or living in Egypt to appreciate this book and what it's all about. Marwa Rakha's The Poison Tree is a novel with an international appeal. Its author, being a well-known relationship guru in her country, exercises her analytical abilities at their full length to deliver a truthful image of today's Egyptian society, using an elegant and sincere autobiographical style. Yet, Rakha is careful to relate all the cultural particularities of her conservative society to the bigger picture, diagnosing what goes wrong when inherited preconceptions act as a barrier, preventing young men and women from leading happy lives and forming sound relationships.

The author carefully depicts how failure in finding love, understanding and satisfaction is passed on from one generation to the next, and how the gap between the sexes keeps widening as society insists on compromising women rights, denying women their freedom of choice and expression.

A very good and a smooth read.. You will enjoy every bit of its witty sarcasm from cover to cover. A unique look on current Egyptian society from a rebellious insider.