In his book, ‘New York – Florida’ (2024), Egyptian journalist Mohamed Maher takes readers on a five-year journey through New York City and Florida, spanning 2018 to 2022. At first glance, the book might seem like a travel book, which is not popular among Egyptian authors, but it is not a travel guide of any sort, rather a piece of autobiographical journalism. Mohamed Maher is a distinguished journalist who holds the role of U.S. correspondent for Egypt’s Al-Masry Al-Youm and the UAE’s Al-Ain News. His career in the U.S. has been marked by coverage of major events, including the signing of the UAE-Israel peace agreement at the White House, U.S. presidential elections, and the Academy Awards. For me, reading the book resembled wearing a virtual reality headset and taking a pleasurable stroll through New York’s alleys and the Sunshine State. ‘New York – Florida’, beautifully written in Arabic, is nuanced and sets itself apart with a rich collection of photographs taken by the author at the places he visited, which kept the book highly engaging. Throughout it, readers get a front-row seat to experience an authentic portrayal of everyday life…
Book Review: Mohamed Maher’s Eye-Opening Exploration of America
April 14, 2025
By Nadine Tag
Journalist
