Historical fiction, young adult fiction
Date Published: October 27, 2020
Publisher: Empire Studies Press
An Egyptian girl fights amid intrigue and corruption for the completion of the world’s greatest man-made waterway.
Recent events have placed the Suez Canal in the global spotlight. One of the world’s most vital waterways, the Canal was originally hailed as a link between civilizations, between Western science and Eastern mystery. This adventure is set against the epic creation of the Canal.
Heroes coming of age... and changing history.
"Tom Durwood is the real thing."
-- Joe Weber, Honorable Enemies, Rules of Engagement
Prologue
Egypt, at that moment, was the theatre in which
Europe
played out its fears, its rivalries, its dreams.
-- Saul Dubinksy, A Brief History of the Navigators
“I
have it in hand,” the Boatman’s daughter, Salima, said.
“I
have the tuition. I can pay for it myself.”
Her
father, the burly widower Yaffit, hesitated, one foot on the barge, one foot on
the docks.
“How
much is it again, Salima?”
“Twenty-five
piastras each month,” answered his only daughter, Salima, age sixteen. “And I
already have the first three months’ tuition from my savings …”
Ma’at,
the first mate, tugged on the luffing mainsail of the Saa, as patient as a young sailor on a loaded barge can be. The
fleet of barges was all stacked and yawing, ready to sail, ready to begin
tacking upriver – south, that is -- for the all-day journey. The tides and wind
favored them – for the moment – and all who sail the Nile know that the river’s
favor is a fleeting thing.
“It’s
a good school,” the girl reminded her father. “A Frenchwoman runs it. And
Isbaza is the safest of neighborhoods. Goma’s grandfather lives practically
next door.”
The
collie at her side barked, as though expecting an answer.
“You
take her side, do you?” said Yaffit to the collie.
The
lead barge strained at the ropes constraining it, desperate to swerve out into
the river’s channels. The Tunisian pulled the boat back, tugging hard on the
ropes which anchored her to Yaffit’s docks.
“Can’t
we decide when I get back --?” Yaffit stroked his beard.
“No,”
replied Salima.
A
pelican dove into the waters just beyond the dock, and emerged with a wriggling
fish.
“Thoth
was smiling last night. That must have been a sign,” said the Boatman.
“All
right,” he concluded. “I suppose it is for the best -- ”
“Thank
you,” said Salima. She hugged her father.
“Are
both the donkeys tied down? If one of them gets even a little loose -- ”
“Yes.
Double hitches,” said Salima, and with that Yaffit jumped.
The
lanky, mostly silent Tunisian let go the line, and the sails of the well-laden Saa caught the wind. The little barge
sailed prettily into the channels of the Nile, followed close by the other five
boats.
The
pelican hovered, looking for more.
About the Author
TOM DURWOOD is editor of Empire Studies Magazine, an open-access journal posting over fifty scholarly features. He taught most recently at Valley Forge Military College, where he won five Teacher of the Year awards.
He is the author of Teddy’s Tantrum: John D. Weaver and the Exoneration of the 25th Infantry. His book Kid Lit: An Introduction to Literary Theory has earned favorable early reviews. “My favorite nonfiction book of the year,” writes The Literary Apothecary (Goodreads).
Foreword Author’s Bio
Fatima Sharafeddine is a writer and translator for children and young adults, winner of several awards and honor lists, among which the Etisalat Award for the best YA book of the year 2017 for “Cappuccino”, (Al-Saqi publishers), and the Bologna Ragazzi New Horizons Award for her book “Tongue Twisters” (Kalimat publishers). Her YA novel “Mila’s Pear” was 3shortlisted for the Etisalat Award 2019, and she was nominated 5 times for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the last nomination being in 2020. She has written over 140 books.
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