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Title: Mysterious and captivating
Review: This book provides a captivating view into daily life in Amman for a child growing up in the 1940s. Although the book consists of memoirs, Munif writes entirely in the third person, and the translator has used the "habitual would" instead of simple past tense, both of which serve to bring the reader into the immediacy of the context. The book focuses on general description rather than on personal experience, giving a flavor more of the city than of the life of a particular child. The historical information about general living conditions in 1940s Amman is quite fascinating, covering such topics as the various schools, medical clinics, markets, and children's past times, as well as the looming presence of war. The author is the recipient of numerous literary awards; the excellence of his craft comes clearly through the translation.
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