That Other Me: A Novel

From the #1 internationally bestselling author of The Sandfish, Maha Gargash's second novel is set in mid-1990s Dubai and Cairo and focuses on how secrets and betrayals consume three members-an authoritarian father, a rebellious abandoned daughter, and a vulnerable niece-of a prominent Emirati family. The head of the eminent Naseemy family, Majed, is proud to have risen into the upper echelons of Emirati society. As one of the richest businessmen in Dubai, he's used to being catered to and respected-never mind that he acquired his wealth by cheating his brother, Hareb, out of his own company and depriving his niece, Mariam, of her rights. Not one to dwell on the past-he sent Mariam to school in Egypt, what more could she want from him?-Majed spends his days berating his wife and household staff and cavorting with friends at a private bungalow. But he's suddenly plagued by nightmares that continue to haunt him during the day, and he feels his control further slipping away with the discovery that his niece and his daughter are defying his orders. Mariam is a shy, intelligent Emirati student at a university in Cairo. Though her tuition is funded by her uncle, she seeks an education as a method of distancing herself from him-she despises Majed, whom she blames for her father's death years earlier. Hers is a strictly-organized, dutiful existence: studying hard with the girls in her dormitory and occasionally going out with her beloved cousin Dalal. But one day she falls for a brash, mischievous fellow student named Adel...and he just might prove her downfall. Largely abandoned by Majed as the daughter of a second, disgraceful secret marriage, the vivacious Dalal has a chip on her shoulder and lot to prove. The runner-up on "Nights of Dubai," an American Idol-type reality show for Arab talent, Dalal is committed to being a singer, despite the fact that it's a disreputable career...or perhaps because of it. She lives with her mother in a Cairo slum, desperately spending her days trying to get an appointment with a composer who can make her a celebrity. But when her efforts finally begin to pay off and Dalal is drawn into the world of showbiz, she attracts the attention of her father, who is determined to subdue her to protect the family name. An exhilarating look at the little-known Khaleegi (Gulf-Arab) culture, THAT OTHER ME explores the way way social mores contribute to the disintegration of one family. As Majed increasingly exerts his control over Mariam and Dalal, both girls resist, with explosive consequences.