Cities of Salt

Set in an unnamed Persian Gulf kingdom in the 1930s, this remarkable novel tells the story of the disruption and diaspora of a poor oasis community following the discovery of oil there. The meeting of Arabs and the Americans who, in essence, colonized the remote region is a cultural confrontation in which religion, history, superstition, and mutual incomprehension all play a part.Powerful political fiction that it is, Cities of Salt has been banned in several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia. The novel, the first volume in a trilogy, has been translated from the Arabic to English by Peter Theroux.