Palace Walk is a slow walk for much of the novel, lulling the reader into a gradual familiarity with the family of tyrannical (yet profoundly loved and respected) Ahmad Abd al-Jawad, his submissive wife, and their five children. It was so slow, in fact, that I struggled to maintain interest. But as events transpire, first the usual family affairs, then more profound disruptions, the novel gains momentum and finishes with surprising intensity.

Set in post-WW1, when Egypt sought independence from the British protectorate, the uprising and demonstrations described by Mahfouz are hauntingly relevant to the "Arab Spring" uprising more than 90 years later. The impact of both familial and national challenges on Ahmad's family and, ultimately, Ahmad's own place in the world is masterfully examined and told with both tender sympathy and acute cultural awareness.