The Last Watchman of Old Cairo by Michael David Lukas

A young man journeys from California to Cairo to unravel centuries-old family secrets.

Joseph, a literature student at Berkeley, is the son of a Jewish mother and a Muslim father. One day, a mysterious package arrives on his doorstep, pulling him into a mesmerizing adventure to uncover the tangled history that binds the two sides of his family. For generations, the men of the al-Raqb family have served as watchmen of the storied Ibn Ezra Synagogue in Old Cairo, built at the site where the infant Moses was taken from the Nile. Joseph learns of his ancestor Ali, a Muslim orphan who nearly a thousand years earlier was entrusted as the first watchman of the synagogue and became enchanted by its legendary—perhaps magical—Ezra Scroll. The story of Joseph’s family is entwined with that of the British twin sisters Agnes and Margaret, who in 1897 depart their hallowed Cambridge halls on a mission to rescue sacred texts that have begun to disappear from the synagogue.

The Last Watchman of Old Cairo is a moving novel from acclaimed storyteller Michael David Lukas. This  multigenerational tale illuminates the tensions that have torn communities apart and the unlikely forces—potent magic, forbidden love—that boldly attempt to bridge that divide.

Kindle Edition, 288 pages

Published March 13, 2018

 by Random House

3/5 stars

The Last Watchman of Old Cairo is a reflective, slower-paced novel told through a dual time period storyline, it blends history and family with an underlying mystery.

The story unfolds across past and present as Joseph, Ali and twin sisters Agnes and Margaret search for meaning, connection and answers tied to an ancient synagogue and its guardians. There’s a quiet mystery at the heart of the novel, along with threads of romance and personal searching that link the timelines together. While these elements added interest, they never fully pulled me in emotionally.

One of the strongest aspects for me was the setting. The book takes place in Egypt and having been there myself, it wasn’t hard to visualize the streets, the atmosphere, and the sense of place. Old Cairo in particular felt vividly drawn. Not just the atmosphere but the lifestyle, traditions played a big role also.

Overall, this is a thoughtful novel with a strong sense of place and family. 

My thanks to Random House for a digital arc (I'm a little late, this released in 2018) in exchange for a honest review.