Granada Trilogy 1 = Rindu Andalusia

Assalamualaikum,

Harga: RM 23.00
Karya: Radwa Ashour
Penerbit: Telaga Biru

I happened to chance upon this book while browsing the English Fiction novels. It was tucked in between the English novels & nicely wrapped in plastic so I had no knowing of what the story is about except for the synopis at the back of the book.

Anyhow, the book that I bought is an Indonesion version published by Telaga Biru. I Googled for Telaga Biru but couldn't find the book in their catalogue. Perhaps because it was just published in October 2008.

This story is by Radwa Ashour, an Egyption novelist. She even took first prize with her Andalusian trilogy, whose component novels are named after a place, a person and an event: Granada, Manama and Al-Rahil (The Departure). All are set around 1492, when the fall of Granada marked the end of Arab hegemony in Spain (See Aramco World, January/February 1993). Ashour was cited for her lyrical approach to the lives of ordinary people during a turbulent century that, said the judges, "also evokes present events." The work was published by Dar al-Hilal, Cairo. (source: Saudi Aramco World)

Review of the book can be read here.

The synopis of the book is (according to the back cover of the book):

RINDU ANDALUSIA menyelami penderitaan keluarga Abu Jaafar di tengah keruntuhan kota Cordova. Ratusan kitab kesayangan beliau dibakar oleh tentera Castile di laman Bab el Ramlah. Badan Inkuisisi Granda merampas semua kitab berbahsa Arab dari masjid, pusat sumber, sekolah & orang perseorangan Masjid diubah suai menjadi gereja & Katedral. Kalau ingin selamat minta sahaja dibaptis menjadi Kristian. Anak cucu Abu Jaafar bertahan menjadi Muslim. Di dalam rumah mereka solat dan berkomunikasi dalam bahasa Arab tetapi di luar rumah mereka berbahasa Castille, menggunakan nama baptis dan menghadiri "misi suci" pada hari Ahad di gereja.

Sampai bila Saleemah, Saad, Hassan, Mariama dan semua keturunan Abu Jaafar sanggup mempertahan iman? Suami Saleema, Saad, dipenjara. Dia sendiri difitnah mempraktikkan sihir kerana menyimpan ramuan herba tumbuh-tumbuhan dan biji-bijian yang didapati dari perlbagai kitab berbahasa Arab. Dia dihukum bakar hidup-hidup. Bagaimana nasib Saad? Bagaimana Saleemah berhadapan dengan kehilangan nyawa di tangan penguasa biadab? Bagaimana pula si kecil, Aisyah yang dibela Bibi Mariama? Mampukah mereka bertahan daripada kekejaman yang bersembunyi di sebalik "misi suci" itu?

RINDU ANDALUSIA merupakan buku pertama daripada 3 novel dalam Tsulatsiyah Gharnathah (The Granada Trilogy). Dua buah buku lagi akan segera terbit.

Can't wait for the other 2 books to come out. Oh yes, I got 10% off from the bookstore for novels bought there. :D