Some stories just need to be told. Ibn Al Bitar’s Voyages is a story hundreds of years in the making. Our modern day protagonist is Daniel Mohamed Adbul Razak. Daniel is a talented archaeologist and a bit of a linguist as well. He has spent much of his life hiding his history, unwilling to embrace his heritage. But a hate-filled war-crazed world will do that to a blue eyed Egyptian with a complicated background. As Daniel unravels Ibn Al Bitar’s history, he finds pieces of himself.
The introduction to this book indicates that it was penned originally in Arabic. Credit should be given for such a competent job with the translation. There were few errors, none difficult to overlook. The story is gently told in snippets throughout time. The prose is delightful and expressive without being too heavy handed. On one grim morning we read about how, “The sun was ashamed to shine.” A happier passage says, “Like a bird in the spring breeze, my heart danced with joy.” The history, past and present, unfolds deliberately and with grace.
Aly Brisha writes with a poet’s soul. Ibn Al Bitar’s Voyages will indeed take you on a journey through hate and war to a place of discovery, acceptance and love.
