Grandmother’s Secrets (a review)

Title: Grandmother’s Secrets: the Ancient Rituals and Healing Power of Belly Dance Author: Rosina Fawzi Al-Rawi The intriguing title Grandmothers Secrets captured my curiosity before I ever turned the first page. It conjured visions of the wise things a little girl might learn from her grandmother and the mysterious ways in which these secrets would [...]

A Trade Like Any Other (book review)

No belly dance library can be complete without a copy of A Trade Like Any Other by Karin van Niewkerk. Written as a scholarly view of female dancers and singers in Egypt, this answers many questions and elicits many more. THe conclusions are drawn from historical sources and observations, but mainly from the dancers themselves. [...]

The Told Me I Couldn’t (a review)

Author Tamalyn Dallal opens her tale with all the naivete of youth. Only when we are untouched by fear and disappointment of age could we venture so trustingly into the wild unknown of the developing third world. Dallal sweeps us up in her enthusiasm and dreams of becoming an international start. First stop- Columbia! With [...]

Snake Hips

Snake Hips is a wonderfully moving story of self-discovery. The cultural insertions read like “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”… Arab style! The honest portrayals of heartache and desire remind us of our innocence and vulnerability. And it’s all artfully woven in an unapologetic, yet hilariously funny way. This book is sure to appeal to readers [...]