The Others
by Siba al-Harez
A best-seller in Arabic, The Others is a literary tour de force, offering a glimpse into one of the most repressive societies in the world. Siba al-Harez tells the story of a nameless teenager at a girls' school in the heavily Shi'ite Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Like her classmates, she has no contact with men outside her family. When the glamorous Dai tries to seduce her, her feelings of guilt are overcome by an overwhelming desire for sexual and emotional intimacy. Dai introduces her to a secret world of lesbian parties, online flirtations and hotel liaisons—a world in which the thrill of infatuation and the shame of obsession are deeply intertwined. Al-Harez's erotic, dreamlike story of looming personal crisis is a remarkable portrait of hidden lives.