CHICAGO: Acclaimed Egyptian writer Sonallah Ibrahim’s 2008 historical novel “The Turban and the Hat,” about France’s invasion of Egypt, is remarkably relevant today for its exploration of themes of power, colonialism and conflict. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle The experience of the occupation — led by Napoleon Bonaparte from 1798 to 1801 — is told through the eyes of a student, the novel’s unnamed narrator. He records in his diary observations and conversations with people who resisted change and those who welcomed it. Translated into English by Bruce Fudge, Ibrahim’s novel pays homage to the witnesses who patiently endured a powerful new invader in their lives. Ibrahim’s narrator is a student of Abd Al-Rahman Al-Jabarti, a fictionalized version of the real-life Egyptian scholar who wrote the only Arab account of the invasion and occupation. The narrator has learnt to speak some French, through an apprenticeship, and gets a job as a translator and researcher at the library of the Institut d’Egypte. There he is able to communicate with French scientists, scholars, artists, and other researchers, learning everything he can to report back to his teacher. When the French arrive, they displace the Ottomans, who had, according to Fudge’s introduction, never supported the local population. Although Bonaparte comes to shore with tens of thousands of educated French men and women — scholars, scientists, botanists, geographers and mathematicians —the French massacre the locals and impose harsh taxes. Like the rest of the populace who struggle to survive, Ibrahim’s narrator is clever and conscientious, and engages both the Egyptians and French so that he can determine how the political landscape will unfold. The beginning of the end of French rule in Egypt comes when Bonaparte insists on an expedition to Syria. The narrator gets a firsthand account of the horrific journey which brings with it death and destruction. With English warships nearby and the Turkish vizier on his way, the people of Cairo wait as the tide changes once again. Ibrahim masterfully details this moment in the history of Egypt.