Cairo is a story about five wildly different characters and touches on several controversial issues. At the root of it all is a whimsical adventure story that interweaves a drug runner, a journalist, an activist, an American expatriate, an Israeli soldier and a genie in a hookah. It’s got humor, gun fights, sword fights and a flying prayer carpet. Written by G. Willow Wilson, she converted to Islam while attending Boston University and later became the first Western journalist to interview Sheikh Ali Gomaa after his promotion to the position of Grand Mufti of Egypt. I read this book in one sitting today and enjoyed every bit of it. The story was fun, humorous and thought provoking. Wilson currently has an ongoing series called Air that I’ve read recently. So far, it’s not as good as Cairo, but the story is intriguing and I’m anxious to see where she takes it.
