THE SAND FISH

A young woman’s story opens a window into Dubai on the verge of modernity.

Teenaged Noora lives with her brothers and her father in an isolated area of the current-day United Arab Emirates. It’s the 1950s, the period just before the UAE exploded due to oil trade with the West. Noora’s home is a stone hut; she milks goats and sleeps on a mattress she rolls out every evening. Her dad suffers from dementia, so Noora’s oldest brother, Sager, takes it upon himself to marry her off. A series of events leads to Noora’s betrothal to Jassem, a rich pearl merchant who lives seven days away by sea passage. She knows she should be grateful to be lifted out of poverty, but this strong-willed girl with a taste for independence does not fall easily into the role of Jassem’s third wife. Seaside and desert locales, along with the transitional time period, give a fresh twist to this standard tradition-versus-modernity plotline; it’s unfortunate that none of the characters are as novel. Lateefa, the first wife, is a blend of mother figure and puppeteer, quietly shaping the family to her own design from underneath her burka. Shamsa, the beautiful second wife, is jealous of Noora and ashamed that she could not produce what her rival soon will—a son. Noora is just another in a long line of strong-willed female protagonists. Jassem is a smart businessman and a decent husband for the times, though his power over his wives and the contrast between their captivity and his freedom will shock modern-day Western readers.

Gargash’s debut has a predictable plotline and cookie-cutter characters, but her setting is original.