City of the Sun by Juliana Maio

City of the Sun

by Juliana Maio

Espionage, love, and power play upon the shifting sands of wartime Cairo

CAIRO, EGYPT 1941. As the Second World War rages, the city known as "Paris on the Nile" plays host to an international set who seem more interested in polo matches and swanky nightclubs than the Germans' unrelenting advance across North Africa. Meanwhile, as refugees, soldiers, and spies stream into the city, the Nazis conspire with the emerging Muslim Brotherhood to fuel the Egyptian people's seething resentment against their British overlords.

Ambitious American journalist Mickey Connolly has come to Cairo to report on the true state of the war. Facing expulsion by the British for not playing by their rules, he accepts a deal from the U.S. embassy that allows him to remain in the country. His covert mission: to infiltrate the city's thriving Jewish community and locate a refugee nuclear scientist who could be key to America's new weapons program. But Mickey is not the only one looking for the elusive scientist. A Nazi spy is also desperate to find him--and the race is on. Into this mix an enigmatic young woman appears, a refugee herself. Her fate becomes intertwined with Mickey's, giving rise to a story of passion, entangled commitments, and half-truths.

Deftly blending the romantic noir of the classic film Casablanca with a riveting, suspenseful narrative and vivid historical detail, City of the Sun offers a stunning portrayal of a time and place that was not only pivotal for the war, but also sowed much of the turbulence in today's Middle East.

Reviewed by viking2917 on

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It's 1941 and Rommel's Afrika Corps are bearing down on Cairo. The city is on edge, some of them hoping the Nazis will expel the British who control Egypt, others anxiously waiting for the Allies to stop their advance. Mickey Connelly is an intrepid young reporter out to make his mark in war-time Cairo. Maya is a Jewish refugee, come to Cairo with her father and brother Erik, who happens to be a nuclear scientist in hiding and being sought by the Germans and the British. Mickey is co-opted by the American embassy and the seeds of what will become the American intelligence community to find Erik. He becomes enamored of Maya, not knowing that Erik is her brother.

City of the Sun by Juliana Maio is set in WWII-era Cairo and features a wide variety of intriguing and historical characters and organizations. Maio's painstaking research into the history of Cairo during World War II shines through, and in particular the history of the Jews in Cairo (during the war, hundreds of thousands of Jews made their home their). We see the fledgling Muslim Brotherhood taking root and trying to expel the British. We see a young Anwar Sadat, somewhat unwillingly aligning himself with the Brotherhood in order to reclaim Egypt. Those of us who know Sadat from his Nobel Peace Prize and peace with Israel will be surprised to see him collaborating with the Nazis in order to expel the British. A variety of other historical characters make their appearance, including Wild Bill Donovan, the father of the OSS and eventually the CIA, and King Farouk, the boy king of Egypt.

The hunt for Erik and the budding romance between Mickey and Maya are enjoyable and move the novel forward quickly. But it's clear the real star of City of the Sun is Cairo itself, painted in atmospheric and nostalgic colors. For example, Mickey attends a party at the swanky and cosmopolitan Continental Hotel, and:

He stepped out of the elevator and stood breathless at the sight of the colonial Eden in front of him. The rooftop had been converted into a garden lush with foliage, where guests dined at immaculately set white-linen draped tables. The sun was setting over the many domes and minarets of the city's medieval district, illuminating Al Azhar, the grandest mosque of them all, with a halo and bathing the terrace in an orange glow. Waiters drifted by carrying martinis and platters of hors d'oeuvres accompanied by the soft sound of a flute being played in some unseen corner, while suffragis scurried to light the candies that adorned each table. As the sky darkened, hundreds of fairy lights entwined in the foliage sprang to life, providing a chorus of "Ahhs" from the admiring guests. Mickey joined them, transported to another world - a glamorous, exotic oasis far away from the harsh reality of the war.

City of the Sun is great fun and a wonderful introduction to the history of Cairo and the early formation of today's modern Egypt, and the history of the Jews in Egypt at that time. In tone, the book veers towards a historical romance - Mickey and Maya are adorable, although as characters they have no real flaws that move the plot. This is a solid first novel from Maio and I'd look forward to reading more. I'd welcome more conflict arising from character flaws of the protagonists. In contrast, I was also reading at the same time another WWII-era book, All That Is by James Salter. While it's more than a little unfair to compare Maio's first work to a grand master like Salter, the prose in All That Is effortlessly renders Philip Bowman, complete with all his flaws that drive him forward.

City of the Sun is a quick, effortless read and will be enjoyed by those interested in history, particularly of Cairo and Egypt during the war, or by those looking for a fun, historical romance. If Indiana Jones adventures or Casablanca appeal to you, you'll love City of the Sun.

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  • 2 February, 2014: Reviewed