This novel, rich in its structure and information, is presented by the Sudanese writer living in Saudi Arabia. It is a unique blend of moving situations, human ideas, and philosophical reflections that avoid directness and complexity despite being rich and fertile. In the summer of 2000, 'Robin Singer,' living in Los Angeles, sent a letter to his friend 'Emily,' discussing his psychological struggles he kept from her, which nearly led him to consider suicide, a choice he never acted on fearing the pain it might cause her. He wondered how a man filled with masculine pride could endure being 'jobless and dependent on women!' Robin, both academically and professionally unsuccessful, lived off Emily's support. In his letter, he confessed, 'You are the best thing in my life except for my growing sense of inferiority.' Hence, he found travel as a solution after answering himself, 'I love life, but not particularly my own; I seek to change it.' With his friend Michael’s help, he planned to work in Arab lands (the lands of Aladdin and Sinbad), despite his fear due to the terrifying image of Arabs. In the oil-rich Gulf, everything intrigued him: the local currency's paper notes, the spoken Arabic language, the women’s unusual black attire, the Bedouin tents, and the lavish lifestyle he couldn't comprehend, leading him to pose 'many questions about the differences between people and civilizations.' The letters exchanged between Robin and Emily later revealed secrets and various topics, allowing them to discuss love, woman, jealousy, hatred which 'needs no justification,' prejudices, ambition, money, and art. Robin had forgotten his passion for sculpture and painting and reflected on alienation inside and outside one's homeland, something indescribable. When we speak of 'alienation,' it signifies extreme bitterness. The book further delves into the desert, oil, heat, large shopping centers, Arab customs, traditions, morals, American life, and individual behavior, like racism, black gangs, the worries of fast-paced modern life, unemployment, and hurricane fears. Do the lovers, united by love and need for each other, meet? What fate will prevent their union? What will become of them both? And is it true that 'the older one gets, the more distant from truth they become, the less their knowledge credit grows, and the more mature, the more foolish they appear?' Readers will find an unmissable novel, enjoyable in style, rich in its framework and meaning.

Publishing house: Arab Scientific Publishers/Lebanon Number of Pages: 255 Year of publication: 2009