This may contain spoilers.
Reading the back summary, I was excited to see that a large portion of this book was set in Egypt. Here is what I read:
When Lady Duff Gordon, toast of London society, departs for the hot, dry climate of Egypt to seek relief from her debilitating tuberculosis, her lady's maid, Sally, doesn't think twice about remaining by her lifelong mistress' side. Along the way, Sally comes to experience freedoms she has never known: forgoing corsets in favor of native dress, learning Arabic, and having her first taste of romance. But freedom is a luxury that a maid can ill afford, and when Sally grasps for more than her status entitles her to, she is brutally reminded that she is mistress of nothing. Ultimately, she must choose her master and a way back--or a way to the unknown. Based on the real lives of Lady Duff Gordon and her maid...
Now, I am not a fan of reading about life of the English, especially in the late 19th century, but I couldn't help but be intrigued by what this book might have to offer. Without divulging too much into the plot and thus giving it away in its entirety, I will say that Sally falls in love with an Egyptian, Omar, who already has a family. He has feelings for her himself, which has its consequences not just for Sally and Omar, but for Lady Duff Gordon and his own family. Throughout the book, I couldn't help but be annoyed with Sally. Here is this white woman who knows that this man is married, but instead of stepping back, she allows herself to be in a situation where she could get hurt. Now, I'm not saying this is entirely her fault. Omar is as much to blame, if not more to blame, for what transpired in the book.
I think what frustrated me with Sally is that so often in books and movies I see the dark-skinned brothers go for the white women. It leaves me wondering if this is the kind of women we have to continuously go up against. I found myself unconsciously hoping that things wouldn't work out for Sally in Egypt, because I wanted her to feel the way I did living in a white-dominating world: dejected (though, it's in Egypt, so the author was very attentive of showing the kindness and open-armed attitude of the Egyptian people). In the end, I was shamefully happy in how things turned out, though I did have a small pitying feeling towards Sally's fate. All in all, I do have to say that this is a wonderful, quick read, not too heavy, and certainly not too light.
