This Is Us
Our Life, Our Story, Our Home
by Nabil Fathalla

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In This Is Us, Nabil Fathalla writes the histories of his own and his wife’s family in twentieth-century Egypt and their lives after immigrating to Canada. Through personal stories and family memories, he shows us life in Egypt, exploring culture, education, faith, traditions, and relationships within Coptic Orthodox Christian and Coptic Catholic Christian communities. Fathalla recounts political change, war, and social transformation, showing how ordinary people navigated the challenges and rewards of immigration while building a new life and maintaining connections to the past. Part family history, part immigration story, and part reflection on identity and belonging, This Is Us preserves the memories of two families while exploring the experiences that connect generations across countries, cultures, and time.

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Inspired by the passing of a beloved uncle during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nabil Fathalla began reflecting on family history, memory, and the journeys that shaped his life and the lives of those who came before him. Those reflections became the foundation for This Is Us, his first book. Nabil shares a firsthand account of life in Egypt, immigration to Canada, and the challenges and opportunities of building a new life in a different country. Through his writing, he hopes to preserve family history, celebrate Egyptian culture and heritage, and encourage readers to reflect on their own roots and sense of purpose. Nabil was born in Egypt and later immigrated to Canada in 1988. He now lives with his wife and children in Mississauga, Ontario.

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Contributors

Author

Nabil Fathalla