Book Club! The Last Watchman of Old Cairo (Ch 1-4)

Join us for The Last Watchman of Old Cairo! Please read about the book and sign up to attend here on our website!

### Chapters 1–4

> Theme: Beginnings, Identity, and Place
>

Main question:

> How do the early chapters establish the theme of “watching, guarding, and preserving,” both personally and culturally?
>

• Follow-up prompts
• How does Joseph’s dual heritage (Jewish mother, Muslim father) shape his identity and conflict?
• What expectations are set by the al-Raqb family legacy?
• In what ways do the settings (Ibn Ezra Synagogue, Old Cairo, Berkeley) function almost as characters?
• Which single moment or line struck you most — and why?