Alexandria, Egypt

Many of the short stories take place in and around Alexandria, Egypt. For example, the setting for “The Lunatics’ Eclipse” is Alexandria in the 1980s, as evident from a black-and-white flickering television screen showcasing Michael Jackson performing a moonwalk. From Qamar’s balcony, she can view Cleopatra Beach and an archeological obelisk in a nearby square. The climate is tropical, with vegetation of banana leaves and jasmine growing on trellises, and Qamar sleeps each night on the balcony behind a wooden lattice partition. The city is abuzz with traffic and cafes and public parks. During Mouled, the celebration of the prophet’s birthday, there are “colorful celebrations on every major street” (9) with dancers and tents. In contrast to this outer vibrancy, the apartment buildings were described in “Him, Me and Muhammad Ali” as “the front hall…was the size of a big house. The paint was peeling...