The Sinners

The Sinners, a novel by the contemporary Egyptian writer Yusuf Idris, focuses on the discovery of a baby's corpse. An intense desire to bring the killer to justice arouses the local peasants, and gives them the excuse to pry into the lives of the entire community. The primary suspects are a group of indigent migrant workers, and the question of their guilt or innocence soon reveals other kinds of truths. The best-known novel of one of Egypt's leading writers, The Sinners is an evocative account of life in pre-revolutionary Egypt, taking a hard look at the social mores and taboos of peasant society.