Description
A French entomologist traveling to Cairo encounters a strange commodity on a market stall: scarab-derived beans rumored to ensure the birth of male children. As he investigates, he uncovers a disturbing shift in the world’s demographics—one that suggests gender bias has moved from prejudice to policy, and from belief to biological consequence. With Beatrice, a beloved daughter, nearing adulthood, the story follows the entomologist and his partner as they confront the moral and scientific questions behind the imbalance and search for a way to prevent irreversible harm. Blending speculative insight with human stakes, the novel explores themes of power, superstition, ethics, and the fragile line between survival and exploitation—an Amin Maalouf hallmark, where history, ideas, and intimate lives collide.
Available Editions
paperback
Abacus
Published Jan 1, 1994
192 pages
ISBN: 9780349105994
Reviews
No ratings yet. Be the first!
No written reviews yet.
Details
First Published
1992
Language
eng
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for The First Century After Beatrice by Amin Maalouf.