AT THE CROSSROAD

About the Book

AT THE CROSSROAD The decisions we take at every crossroad in our lives shape our destiny. Egypt, after the Second World War, was torn between the East and West. Occupied by the British and ruled by a corrupt King, it was inevitable that by 1952 the country would be convulsed by a military revolution. We follow four young people born during the occupation and learn how their lives and loves intertwine with the political events of their country. Nadia lives a western lifestyle, but suffers the intellectual and physical repressions imposed upon her by a conservative Moslem father. Melanie, whose mother is British, enjoys the semblance of a free and emancipated life in a world that never completely accepts her. Sammy, brought up in England, is still a product of the Middle East. He succeeds in escaping from the political restrictions of the military regime, but cannot escape his macho culture. Hassan is the victim of his ideals. His belief in the revolution is shattered when he perceives the corruption of the new government and when the Egyptian Army is defeated in the Suez Canal War. Through the adventure, romance, joy, and tragedy of our four protagonists, we get a glimpse of life in the Middle East in the fifties and sixties.

About the Author

OLFET AGRAMA was born in Egypt and earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Ein Shams in Cairo. She later immigrated to the USA and received a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of California. She was CEO of Intersound, a dubbing and postproduction studio. She is presently on the board of directors of Harmony Gold, a television production and distribution company. She is married and has two children and six grandchildren. She is a painter, a sculptor, and has had numerous single exhibits in both Europe and the USA. She has traveled extensively and currently divides her time between Paris and Los Angeles. This is her first published novel.