Raja Alem
Raja'a Alem is a Saudi Arabian novelist from Mecca/Hejaz. She received her BA in English Literature and works as a tutor for the Center for Training Kindergarten Teachers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
When a dead woman is discovered in Abu Al Roos, one of Mecca's many alleys, no one will claim the body because they are ashamed by her nakedness. As we follow Detective Nassir's investigation of the case, the secret life of the holy city of Mecca is revealed.
Tackling powerful issues with beautiful and evocative writing, Raja Alem reveals a city--and a civilization--at once beholden to brutal customs, and reckoning (uneasily) with new traditions. Told from a variety of perspectives--including that of Abu Al Roos itself--The Dove's Necklace is a virtuosic work of literature, and an ambitious portrait of a changing city that deserves our attention.