Synopses & Reviews
“[This] debut novel offers a rare window into young, lesbian Saudi culture...The protagonist's journey of self-discovery and the questions she reflects upon have universal appeal. [A] poetic, valuable look at the difficulties of being a woman in Saudi Arabia, and of growing up anywhere in the world.”—Kirkus Reviews
“This could be the most controversial novel to emerge in our times, not just from Saudi Arabia, but from the whole of the Arab world.” —Al Hayat
“So much sex...But don't expect a winking Melissa P. of the desert. Here we're talking about stifling gynaecea and cracks of madness reminiscent of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath; cynical, upper class girls like in Mary McCarthy's The Group; and rich, alienating tendencies like in the first Bret Easton Ellis.”—Marco Cicala, Il Venerdi di Repubblica
A best-selling book when it appeared in Arabic, The Others is a literary tour de force, offering a window into one of the most repressive societies in the world.
Seba al-Herz tells the story of a nameless teenager at a girls’ school in the heavily Shi’ite Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Like her classmates, she has no contact with men outside her family. When the glamorous Dai tries to seduce her, her feelings of guilt are overcome by an overwhelming desire for sexual and emotional intimacy. Dai introduces her to a secret world of lesbian parties, online flirtations, and hotel liaisons—a world in which the thrill of infatuation and the shame of obsession are deeply intertwined. Al-Herz's erotic, dereamlike story of looming personal crisis is a remarkable portrait of hidden lives.
Seba al-Herz is the pseudonym of a twenty-six-year-old Saudi woman from al-Qatif in Saudi Arabia. This is her first novel.
Review
A revolutionary novel with a culturally fascinating contextual twist”Book Marks
A hit when it was released in Arabic, the new English translation shows a side of the Middle East that many assume could never exist” Modern Tonic Review
A psychological portrait of what happens to the mind when it is kept inside a small space, The Others is both frightening and revealing”Rain Taxi
Already a best seller in Arabic (and published pseudonymously), this Saudi novel, in which a closeted lesbian Shia girl feverishly narrates her struggles and affairs, offers a rare personal glimpse into the repressive kingdom”New York Magazine
A trance-like excursion into contemporary Saudi Arabian life
[The Others] takes the mixing of ancient and modern cultures in the Muslim world and spotlights the contrast between the two”The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide
The exploration of an obsessed mind unable to relinquish her belief in a perfect body”Counterpunch
Synopsis
A daring literary debut from Saudi Arabia reveals the secret world of a sexually rebellious woman.
Synopsis
A best-selling book when it appeared in Arabic, The Others is a literary tour de force, offering a window into one of the most repressive societies in the world. Seba al-Herz tells the story of a nameless teenager at a girls' school in the heavily Shi'ite Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Like her classmates, she has no contact with men outside her family. When the glamorous Dai tries to seduce her, her feelings of guilt are overcome by an overwhelming desire for sexual and emotional intimacy. Dai introduces her to a secret world of lesbian parties, online flirtations, and hotel liaisons—a world in which the thrill of infatuation and the shame of obsession are deeply intertwined. Al-Herz's erotic, dreamlike story of looming personal crisis is a remarkable portrait of hidden lives.
About the Author
Seba al-Herz, the author, is a pseudonym, adopted to protect the identity of a young Saudi novelist in her 20s.