The tumultuous alley of this rich and intricate novel (first published in Arabic in 1959) is inhabited by a delightful Egyptian family, but is also the setting for a second, hidden, and more daring narrative: the spiritual history of humankind. The men and women of a modern Cairo neighborood unwittingly reenact the lives of their holy ancestors: from the feudal lord who disowns one son for diabolical pride and puts another to the test, to the savior of a succeeding generation who frees his people from bondage. This powerful novel confirms again the richness and variety of Mahfouz's storytelling and his status as "the single most important writer in modern Arabic literature" (Newsweek).

"Immensely entertaining and deeply serious." --Chicago Tribune

"An ambitious fable that attempts to embrace within its pages not merely the world of the Middle East but that of the world itself." --Washington Post Book World

"A powerful allegory of human suffering and striving." --New York Times

"A remakable literary feat." --Dallas Morning News