"Propulsive and philosophical. . . . The novel brims with sparkling prose. Naga's sentences are precise and rich with bold, complex observations. . . . [An] exhilarating debut."-Nadia Owusu, New York Times Book Review
"Extraordinary."-Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Library Journal, starred review
"Naga impresses with her snappy prose . . . and has a gift for exploring varied perspectives. . . . This smart story is distinguished by its surprising empathy."-Publishers Weekly
"A fascinating novel about class and abuse. . . . [Noor]Naga's writing in the book's first two parts is gripping, but the final section, metafictional and darkly funny, is an absolute master class. She deals with important issues with a gimlet eye and a rare sensitivity-it would be a massive understatement to call this novel a must-read. In a word: brilliant."-Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"A masterclass in complex characters and incisive writing. . . . [If An Egyptian Cannot Speak English] does justice to the intricacy it explores. It is wholly captivating and will challenge you in ways you don't see coming."-Manal Ahmed, F(r)iction
"Sharp, switched-on, and self-interrogating, If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English masterfully continues, long after the last page is read, to provoke uncomfortable yet essential questions about what we demand from literature that represents otherness. . . . Inventive and brilliant."-Dana Hansen, Chicago Review of Books
"At once romantic, complex, and ultimately tragic."-Booklist
"In If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English, Noor Naga finds a form for diasporan consciousness: capacious enough to hold conflicting voices, inventive enough to capture the dream state of life in translation, supple enough to express varieties of heartbreak at the margins of culture. Through a love story told at a breathless pace, Naga evokes breath: the presence of living bodies, whose silence surrounds all novels, never quite caught on the page. This is a book for anyone who's ever been mesmerized by language, amazed and stricken by what it can and cannot do."-Sofia Samatar
"Noor Naga's language combines precision with extraordinary suggestiveness. Reading this book is like stepping through an open doorway and realizing that a sparkling zodiac of colorful expressions lies another small step away. One has the impulse to keep going and to stop only to wave someone else to hurry along."-Ato Quayson
