Two of my clients are publishing books this summer. First up is David Flinn’s Climb Like a Mzungu, which is available through Amazon starting Friday, June 23.

My other client, Jasmin Attia, won the 2022 Nicholas Schaffner Award for Music in Literature. Her book, The Oud Player of Cairo, will be published on August 1, available at Barnes & Noble, independent bookstores, and on Amazon.

These books couldn’t be more different. David’s is about falling in love with rock climbing while in college, and the adventures that passion led him to throughout his twenties. Jasmin’s novel is set in Cairo in the 1930s through 1950s, and it tells the story of Laila, a young Egyptian woman who defies the restrictive roles for women and instead, with the encouragement of her musician father, becomes a celebrated singer and performer.

What is the same about these books is that they are compelling and wonderfully well written. I guarantee the stories will stay with you long after you have finished reading the books.