Harem Years: The Memoirs of an Egyptian Feminist, 1879-1924

Description

In this rare first-hand account of the private world of a Cairo harem during the years before Egypt declared independence in 1922, Shaarawi recalls her childhood and early adult life in the seclusion of an upper-class Egyptian household, including her marriage at age thirteen. Her subsequent separation from her husband gave her time for an extended formal education, as well as an unexpected taste of independence and a critical understanding of the price of confinement. Shaarawi's feminist activism grew along with her involvement in Egypt's nationalist struggle and culminated in 1923 in a daring act of defiance,when she publicly removed her veil in a Cairo railroad station. Table of Contents List of Photographs Preface Chronology Introduction PART ONE: THE FAMILY Circassian Relatives My Mother My Father PART TWO: CHILDHOOD IN THE HAREM 1884-92 Two Mothers My Brother THe Eunuchs and the Maid Lessons and Learning Routines and Events Feasts Women Pedlars Family Friends Visiting the Palace Childhood Companions and the Farewell Betrothal to My Cousin The Wedding A New Bride PART THREE: A SEPARATE LIFE 1892-1900 Lessons Again Companionship Attempts at Reconciliation Sojourns in Alexandria Portrait of the Hard Life of a Woman A New Mentor and Her Salon for Women PART FOUR: A WIFE IN THE HAREM 1900-18 Reconciliation A Cure in Paris Being a Mother A Turkish Summer The First "Public" Lectures for Women The Mabarat Muhammad Ali The Intelletual Association of Egyptian Women The Final Illness of Niece Huda A European Summer on the Eve of War Two Deaths The Bridge of Nationalism Epilogue Notes Appendix Glossary Index