The novel that touched me the most was Naguib Mahfouz “Cairo Trilogy”. It’s a family saga of an Egyptian family. I’m middle eastern (not Egyptian) so I could relate with all the characters and their lives. Plus, Mahfouz is a wonderful storyteller and can craft characters and stories so beautifully. I was in university when I first read the novels and remember I would have dreams with characters from the novel. No other novel really bore into my subconscious like that.
Most recently, this past year I read Omar El-Ekkad’s novel “what strange paradise”. This also impacted me since it concerns a small refugee boy from the Middle East. It’s a quick and accessible read.