I write thrillers and have a protagonist in Morocco and a Bedouin woman in Spain; I'd like the Bedouin to be a voice of Muslim feminism. Sex and the Citadel is the third book I've read, and the most recently published, building support for the voice I seek; it's the most approachable, and great fun to read. Sex and the Citadel is also a powerful resource for the young and curious woman in the Middle East.Shareen El Feki, a half Welsh, half Egyptian woman, does a marvelous job of reaching analytically into the sexual mores of the Arab Muslim world. She spent two years, asking and listening, with Arab women from Egypt and across the Middle East . On this mental journey, through the lens of a thoroughly modern Muslim woman, El Feki leads the reader on a fascinating examination of the attitudes of Muslim women about sexuality, and more.El Feki can really write. Time spent as a journalist for the Economist seems to have been well spent; the story flows cleanly and maintains the reader's interest. She's smart; an early doctorate in molecular immunology from Cambridge attests to that.The modern phenomenon of Internet Cloud-connected `everything' allows fascinating discussions of the impact of new knowledge flowing into the Muslim home, beyond the censoring control of the governments. The reader is exposed to several modern web-oriented paths used to educate the budding Muslim feminist. One is Muntada Jensaneya, the Arab Forum for Sexuality, Education and Health. There are others discussed.Some parts of the book catch one by surprise by evoking a sudden guffaw. El Feki's story of Muslim women searching the internet for information on 'sexual aids' is special, as efforts to translate descriptive material labor. There is little pushing of the Western model of acceptable treatment of women, but rather a considered discussion of why the situation with regard to sexuality is different in the Arab world and how the women there deal with it. Wisdom and humor are delivered through examples, vignettes and pithy quotes from her paternal grandmother.All in all, the voice of the modern Muslim feminist has been given a new, strong voice. Well done.Robert Cook, author of Patriot and Assassin[...]