Distant View of a Minaret and Other Stories by Alifa Rifaat

Below are two quotes which nicely summarize the experience of the woman. The story is an unhappy one, as the young protagonist is forced to undergo a clitoridectomy forced to marry against her wishes becomes a widow and is then left with the task of raising her children alone and finally is overwhelmed by loneliness in her old age. ‘Bahiyya’s Eyes’, the next story in the collection, is a short but compelling portrayal of the life of a woman from childhood to old age. The extent of her indifference is expressed in the closing scene, where she calmly drinks coffee and sends her child to call the doctor after her husband had died from a heart attack. Over the years, she got weary of the repeated refusal of her husband to attempt to satisfy her, as well as his infidelities, to the point where she was no longer bothered.

The first story, ‘Distant View of a Minaret’, is about a sexually frustrated wife. The issue of marriage is prominently featured, and a recurring theme is the giving out of girls to marriage by their family while they (the girls) are in love with other men. The stories are mostly told from the point of view of female protagonists. The call to prayer, quotes of the Qur’an and the description of Islamic rites and beliefs give the stories an authentic Islamic Arab feel. The title of the book, taken from the title of the first story in the collection, is indicative of the pervasiveness of the Islamic culture in the stories. This book also has the distinction of being in Kinna’s top 10 by African writers. This is the first book I’ve read by a writer from North Africa. His business blog is and for his posts about politics, social issues and his attempts at creative writing, visit .”)ĭistant View of a Minaret is a collection of fifteen short stories by Alifa Rifaat (real name: Fatimah Rifaat 1930-1996,) written in Arabic and translated by Denys Johnson-Davies and was first published in 1983. He is also a fan of literature and has sometimes written poetry. Jerome is a “Ghanaian who mostly blogs about politics and business.

( This is Jerome Kuseh’s third review for Kinna Reads his previous reviews are Buchi Emecheta’s Second-Class Citizen and Bessie Head’s When Rain Clouds Gather.

Distant View of a Minaret and Other Stories by Alifa Rifaat