TORNARE AL CAIRO

Set between London, Cairo, Alexandria, and Beirut, the novel follows Kate, a young Englishwoman discovering freedom and desire in a cosmopolitan Egypt, and Hafez, an Oxford-educated Egyptian closely tied to Gamal Abdel Nasser and the officers preparing to end King Farouk's rule. Their relationship unfolds within a society on the brink of profound change, where personal choices collide with sweeping historical forces.

When Kate leaves grey, war-bound London for the radiant energy of Cairo, she is immediately drawn to a city where cultures, languages, and identities intertwine. Her encounter with Hafez pulls her into the hopes and tensions of a country undergoing a seismic transformation. As their bond deepens, both are forced to confront the growing divide between their love and their destinies.

The two protagonists, Kate and Hafez, embody the opposing political fronts of the time: on one side, the British, who still held control through the Suez Canal; on the other, the Egyptian elite seeking to reclaim their country's independence.

Denise Pardo was born in Cairo and has lived in Italy since 1961. A journalist and novelist, she debuted in fiction with La casa sul Nilo (Neri Pozza, 2022). In both her novels - La casa sul Nilo and Tornare al Cairo - she brings to life the vibrant, open, cosmopolitan city of her childhood: a place where people of different nationalities, cultures, and religions lived side by side.