Email this review   Shifting desert sands and shifting attitudes
reveal the complexities—and hypocrisy—of Saudi life.  Nouf ash-
Shrawi, the 16-year-old daughter of a wealthy Saudi family, has
disappeared shortly before her much-anticipated marriage. Her
brother Othman hires desert guide and tracker Nayir al-Sharqi to
find her. Palestinian by birth, Nayir embraces the Bedouin
culture that most Saudis claim as their birthright but have
abandoned for a materialistic urban lifestyle. From the Bedouin
he has learned to read the desert sands for information about
landmarks, changes in the weather and prey. He also hides behind
rigid Islamic beliefs that emphasize how women lead men to sin.
What he learns about Nouf and the other privileged Shrawi women
contrasts with his view of the ideal woman as humble, modest and
devout. After Nouf is found dead in the desert, Nayir meets
medical examiner Katya Hijazi, who is engaged to marry Nouf’s
brother. Nayir interprets Katya’s professional confidence as
brazen, even sinful