Nina of Arabia

“Nina of Arabia” is a novel about a woman who won’t let reality ruin her dreams. And thanks to this, her dreams become reality. Without escapism or bitterness, painting the world we live in and thanks to her capacity to take the bitter pill of her time with a smile, Marina Bulatović has written a textbook of optimism.

Vladimir Kecmanović, writer and scriptwriter

 

The book “Nina of Arabia” by Marina Bulatović Barny, an excellent journalist and a PR expert, despite its slightly pompous but self-ironic title easy to remember as it reminds us of Lawrence of Arabia, is actually a diary of our very own Bridget Jones! This is a female urban prose or “chick lit” in the best sense of the word, as well as a very bold and often humorously inspired autofiction by a vigorous prose writer who knows how to masterfully capture the nuances of our everyday life.
Marina Bulatović Barny revives not only her characters but also the ambiance of those cities where adventures of our heroine take us from her native Belgrade to (Saudi) Arabia from the title of the novel, and all the way to Toronto and the New York she dreams about.

Maja Herman Sekulić, writer

 

How much has Lawrence’s Arabia changed since the 20th century?

For the first time since Lawrence, Marina Bulatović describes the mystical Orient from her personal experience, where she lived for ten years. This book overcomes prejudice and shows us Arabia in a different light. We learn that its dusty roads and camels were replaced by jeeps running along the highways at crazy speeds, while the former tent settlements have become posh residential areas and steel and glass shopping malls are present day souks. In her breezy style, the author discovers the emancipation of the women there, no longer slaves to tradition, who now drive cars and leave their black abayas in the ash heap of history, while men are increasingly falling victim to tradition. This book is a page-turner.

Ljuba Đorđević, ELLE magazine editor, Serbia

 

Marina Bulatović disperses all prejudice that love and marriage cannot happen after forty. When her heroine listens to her heart, quits her job and her successful career in Belgrade, packs her suitcases and travels to the other side of the world, a new story begins, of an encounter of two peoples, two cultures: Serbian and Arabian. An encounter filled with curiosity and desire to learn of each other, along with sincere respect of differences. In a witty and humorous way Marina Bulatović writes about US and THEM, comparing without criticizing or judging. She observes and writes – about Serbs, Arabs, Americans, Montenegrins… Take a peek into the wondrous world of Marina Bulatović and you will discover why love is all around us.

Gordana Radisavljević-Jočić, MediaSfera Editor-in-Chief