I attended a workshop that McNabb presented at the Dubai Literature Festival where he said he'd self-published Olives after being turned down by over 80 agents. What a crowd of pillocks they were. This is an incredibly well written book. The hero doesn't know what is the truth of his situation until the very last page and you won't either. The writing is very high level, the knowledge of the Middle East and the political situation very detailed. I've visited Jordan as a tourist and recognised places, scenes and bits of atmosphere that he describes, so know that he does all of that well.
I believed this book. Everything in it convinced me. The Arabs were like the ones I work with, those charming folk who can be so easy to like and so hard to understand. The characters were all real people to me, their motivations often confusing, but always credible. This is a book that I'll be lending to friends and nagging them to read. They'll thank me for it, though, I know they will.
I believed this book. Everything in it convinced me. The Arabs were like the ones I work with, those charming folk who can be so easy to like and so hard to understand. The characters were all real people to me, their motivations often confusing, but always credible. This is a book that I'll be lending to friends and nagging them to read. They'll thank me for it, though, I know they will.
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