WHAT I KNOW ABOUT YOU

The slow-burn story of Tarek, a Levantine Christian doctor whose life seems prescribed for him in every matter, even love.

As the book opens during Tarek’s boyhood in 1960s Cairo, an omniscient speaker says: “You were of an age to have no life plans beyond what others devised for you. Was it really just a matter of age, though?” The use of “you” throughout the first section creates a distinct separation between Tarek and the speaker, but there’s still a sense of intimacy. The speaker seems to know and deeply feel everything they write about Tarek’s life. Questions of who this speaker is, and whether it could be Tarek himself, hover over a good portion of the novel. Point of view plays an essential role in how the story unfolds over the course of three sections, titled “You,” “Me,” and “Us.” Tarek follows the path expected of him. He becomes a successful doctor with a practice in Dokki and a clinic in Mokattam, and he gets married. “In the Armenian tradition, it fell to your wife’s mother to welcome you into your new home. She offered you a spoonful of honey with nuts, to wish you a sweet life. The spell lasted barely a year.” Tarek’s daily routine is shaken when he meets Ali, who arrives at the clinic seeking help for his mother. The initial medical appointment turns into many visits Tarek pays to Ali and his mother, which now include dinner and conversation. Ali’s mother, whose health has deteriorated, asks Tarek to let Ali work at the clinic. He agrees, and the bond between Ali and Tarek becomes even stronger. Then everything changes for Tarek in a moment: “You were like a child who seizes a momentary lapse in their parent’s attention to open a box of matches. The child doesn’t know when exactly it will happen, or what kind of fire they will spark. But they understand the possibility, however remote.” As they so often do, the speaker adeptly locates a metaphor for the situation and the feelings that result. Chacour’s exceptional restraint in divulging information lets the tension build, carrying the book into the revelation of who is writing Tarek’s story.

All the author’s formal risks result in well-earned rewards.