The Book of Saladin

It’s been several months since I finished reading The Book of Saladin, the second book in Tariq Ali’s Islam Quintet. I read the first, Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, back in 2014 and wrote about it the following year. (I’ve just pulled that blog post over to my Substack feed so you can now read it here.)

Having had a meh response to the first, why would I move to the second 11 years later?

Because these are stories I want to love: set off the beaten path, with points of view from regular folks, those who have to navigate the world in which they have so little direct effect on the bigger events. Not the rulers, but those who must survive the vicissitudes of those in power.

Coincidentally, this story, like The Secret Chord, is structured as a telling from one commissioned to record the life of another. Saladin’s life story is told from the point of view of Isaac bin Yakub, a Jewish scribe who spends decades in the Arab camps observing and recording the anticipation of the Saracens’ recapture of Jerusalem, its aftermath, and the various hangers-on in Saladin’s orbit: his nephews, another scribe, a favorite wife, etc.

As with Natan in The Secret Chord, the narrator Isaac has his own concerns and trials, but the focus is on the mover and shaker—Saladin. The narrator is not the main character.

There were times I nearly put this book down. When we’re immersed in the crusade periods, we have come to expect sweeping movements and action, large-scale drama. The Book of Saladin is constructed as years of close character studies. Even so, the most developed characters were the others: a feisty wife, a flamboyant advisor. Saladin, ironically, felt the most distant—more described than experienced.

I am glad I finished it, but while the characters have some unique qualities, I didn’t come away feeling like I “know” any of them, even the narrator. Had it been set in a time and place either too common or that holds little interest to me, I likely would have drifted away and not returned.

I crave stories in these less common settings and points of view, but both of these (The Book of Saladin and Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree) lack a sense of immersion. The characters are interesting, but I can’t say I found them intriguing or people I grew to care much for.

I will keep trying; there are five books in the series. I’ll have to read more than one every 10 years though, because I won’t last THAT long.

Meanwhile, our temporary move is DONE.

The house has hit the market and swiftly creating a buzz. It is an iconic structure in the neighborhood and has enchanting features inside and out.

What’s next for us? The day after we turned the house over to the realtor, I started writing scenes for Book II. Finally under way!

I hope you are all well and have dug out from under any winter storms, or are surviving peak summer heat—for those of you on the other side!

Many blessings to you all!

Lausanne