Captain Ni'mat's Last Battle: A Novel

Description

First published after the author's death in 2008, this provocative novel charts the late-in-life sexual awakening of a retired air force pilot who begins a dangerous affair with a male servant. Captain Ni'mat, a reservist from the Egyptian army defeated by the Israelis in 1967, finds himself aging and idle, spending his days at a luxurious private club in Cairo with former comrades. One night, Captain Ni'mat has an exquisite, chilling dream- he sees pure beauty in the form of his Nubian valet. Awakened by these searing images, he slips into the hut where the young man sleeps. The vision of his naked body so deeply disturbs Captain Ni'mat that his monotonous existence is suddenly turned upside down. Unbeknownst to his wife, he comes to know physical love with his valet. In a country where religious fundamentalism grows increasingly prevalent every day, this forbidden passion will lead him to the height of happiness, at least for a time.

Mohamed Leftah was a writer and journalist born in Settat, Morocco, in 1946. He attended engineering school in Paris and then returned in 1972 to Morocco, where he became a literary critic for Le Matin du Sahara and Le Temps du Maroc. His career as a novelist began with the publication of the critically acclaimed Demoiselles de Numidie in 1992, followed by ten more novels over the next nineteen years. Captain Ni'mat's Last Battle is his English-language debut. He died of cancer in 2008. Lara Vergnaud is a translator of prose, creative nonfiction, and scholarly works from the French. She is the recipient of two PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants and a French Voices Grand Prize, and has been nominated for the National Translation Award. She lives in Washington, DC.

"Alluring...graphic and sensuous without being prurient, and a piquant exploration of masculinity, gender, societal taboos, and the nature of love." -Publishers Weekly "Thought provoking and engaging, with well-realized characters and a satisfying conclusion." -Booklist "Leftah is highly regarded in the francophone literary world ('An observer of the abyss. A champion of delight')...[Captain Ni'mat's Last Battle is] a stylish and intelligent read...a landmark statement in Egypt's exciting national conversation." -The Spectator "I read this gorgeous book in one sitting. The writing is poetic and breathtaking, rich with history. A must-read...Captain Ni'mat's Last Battle is so riveting!" -Hasan Namir, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of God in Pink "Hidden behind this novel, with its refined erotic writing style, is above all a highly subversive work." -Telerama