This is a fictional retelling of Umm Kulthum's life as seen by the eyes of one of her most beloved poets, Ahmed Rami. It's the story of her success as a singer, the story of Egypt as a country that was searching for its voice, the story of an (almost) unrequited love, the story of an obsession, and the story of passion for arts ...all skillfully mixed together. The Italian edition has some flaws due to poor editing and I cannot judge the accuracy of the translation, but still, this was a rich and soulful read (even if not a happy or light one)