Amira Ghenim’s novel “Le désastre de la maison des notables” (The Disaster of the House of Notables) spans more than half a century of Tunisian history, from the struggle for independence to the 2011 revolution, tracing in particular the shifting place of women within society. At its heart lies Zbeida Rassaa, the young wife of Mohsen Naifer, whose suspected affair with an intellectual from a modest background sets off a chain of irrevocable events. Through interwoven memories and long-buried secrets, voices from both families – the austere, tradition-bound Naifers and the more progressive Rassaas – as well as their household servants, revisit the fateful night that left lasting scars.

In her dazzling debut graphic novel “Shubeik Lubeik (Your Wish Is My Command)”, Deena Mohamed imagines a Cairo where wishes can be bought – though only the costly ones truly deliver. At a small kiosk, three lives converge: Aziza battles unjust regulations simply for the right to own a wish; Nour, a privileged student, hesitates over whether to spend hers on “curing” a hidden depression; and Shokry grapples with his faith as he aids a friend unwilling to use his.